SAN DIEGO — A San Diego mother is desperate for help after her 14-year-old daughter ended up in the intensive care unit while on a class trip halfway around the world.
Destinee Allen was on the trip of a lifetime with her class in Spain to celebrate their recent eighth grade graduation, when she became increasingly sick.
Destinee's mom, Whitney Williams, took off from the San Diego International Airport early Thursday evening, heading for Madrid, where her 14-year-old daughter remains on oxygen in the ICU, her heart rate and blood pressure frighteningly low.
Doctors have told her that they still can not determine what sort of infection Destinee has, making it nearly impossible to treat.
"I just want to get to my baby," Williams told CBS 8.
Williams got the call that every parent dreads: her young daughter's health was failing, after she traveled with her middle school, The Language Academy, on a class trip to Europe last week.
A few days ago, while in Spain, Destinee, who has an underlying heart condition, started to experience a fever.
While doctors were initially able to bring it under control, on Wednesday her fever spiked to 103, landing her in intensive care, and Destinee's teacher called.
"He just said, she is really sick." Williams added. "You're going to have to make arrangements to come out here and be with her until she is well enough to fly."
Destinee's mom said she would have to accompany her daughter home. Despite the exorbitant cost of buying a same-day ticket to Spain, as well as the return trips once her daughter is well enough to travel, Williams said - while funds are tight - she is buoyed by her strong faith.
"I believe that God has something special for her, and she is going to come out of this and tell an amazing story," she said.
Williams is all too familiar with a situation like this. Seven years ago, her three-year-old son Kayden died after battling a heart condition he was born with.
"He was in the hospital for about two-and-a-half years. He had a heart transplant," she told CBS 8.
Williams is determined that Destinee -- who will enter Madison High School in the fall -- will survive this mysterious infection, using Kayden's spirit as inspiration.
"I was telling his sister, you got to be strong, you got to fight," she added. "Kayden fought... you know, you got to fight. You got to push through this!"
Williams said she won't arrive in Spain until late Friday night, counting the hours until she can be by her daughter's side in the hospital, and then eventually bring her safely home here to San Diego.
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