Bakersfield Girl Dies Fighting Valley Fever

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A Bakersfield teenager has lost a two-year battle with valley fever.

Family members of Jacalynn Faith Hernandez called ABC23 late Friday afternoon to report that she had died.

ABC23 talked Friday with her aunt and uncle, Tim and Edna Hernandez, before they left to join other family members at the UCLA Medical Center.

The couple said the family was gathering to talk about taking Jacalynn off life support.

Tim Hernandez said Jacalynn was doing well until Thursday night, when she took a turn for the worse and stopped responding to her medications.

There is no word on the exact cause of death.

ABC23 visited with Jacalynn in April at UCLA. She said she was feeling good despite bouts with various complications.

Jacalynn had surgery on her 17th birthday to remove her spleen and gallbladder.

She lost nearly 100 pounds during her battle with the illness.

Her father told ABC23 that doctors originally gave her a 10 percent chance of survival, but she had successfully beaten back the disease for more than a year.

The family is now asking the community to pray for her.

According to doctors, more than half of the people who contract valley fever never show any symptoms.

Nearly 40 percent exhibit flu-like symptoms, and in very rare circumstances, like Jacalynn's, doctors said the disease can be fatal.