HOUSTON – Just hours before the passing of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Houston mother, sat alongside him at the U.S. Capitol, advocating for her daughter’s medical needs during President Trump’s joint address to Congress.
What we know:
Angela Hernandez, whose 2-year-old daughter, Baislee Garcia, has a rare genetic disorder, was in Washington, D.C., as Turner’s guest. She said she was stunned to learn of his passing Wednesday morning before her return flight to Houston.
“Initially I was in shock, but then I got very emotional,” Hernandez said. “Because the last thing he was doing was fighting for Baislee.”
Turner’s final tweet underscored his advocacy for Hernandez and her daughter, who has Chromosome 8P inversion/duplication/deletion, a condition that can cause intellectual disability, developmental delays, and birth defects.
Hernandez, who works full time, has been fighting to maintain Medicaid coverage for her daughter’s medical needs.
“She’s deaf in her left ear, has a cochlear implant,” Hernandez said. “She can’t eat more than puréed foods, so she needs a feeding specialist.”
Turner sought to highlight the importance of Medicaid funding and the potential impact of major cuts to the program. Hernandez said his advocacy made a difference for families like hers.
“As a special needs mom, you already have to fight so much every single day,” she said. “To have an ally in his position willing to work for you and with you was an honor. We lost another ally. And at a time where people are so worried about only themselves, we need people in the fight who are worried about others. When you help others, you’re helping everybody, including yourself.”
Hernandez extended her condolences to Turner’s family and his team in Houston and Washington, D.C.
The Source: FOX 26’s Sherman Desselle spoke with Angela Hernandez Wednesday evening.
