Armando Niedermeier-Rubio arrived in Arizona on Saturday, July 18, after obtaining emergency humanitarian parole that permitted him to rejoin his 13-year-old daughter at a Phoenix-area hospital. Hannah was flown from Mexico to Phoenix earlier in the week after suffering a sudden brain bleed that left her with facial drooping and loss of strength on one side of her body, prompting specialized ICU care and urgent diagnostic work by clinicians in the United States.
Loading post…
The separation became public after Niedermeier-Rubio posted a series of emotional videos online describing the moment he learned his daughter was gravely ill. In one clip he said, "I noticed her face was droopy, half of her face, and her lips and stuff, and half her body had no strength," and explained that initial attempts to secure compassionate entry at a U.S. port were denied. While he remained in Mexico, his husband, Kenneth Niedermeier, along with Hannah's grandmother — who is a legal resident — and an aunt were at the child's bedside in Phoenix.
A family member leans at the bedside of a teenage patient in a Phoenix-area hospital room, with monitors and IV lines visible as loved ones gather after securing emergency entry to be reunited.
Niedermeier-Rubio said he had been given documentation from the Arizona medical facility, but was initially unable to enter the United States because U.S. border authorities told him that the type of humanitarian visa he needed could not be issued at ports of entry. "[U.S. border authorities] told me that you can't get any of that type of visa at the ports of entry, so that plan failed," he said in a recorded statement. He described the enforced separation as the hardest part of the ordeal: "Unfortunately, I can't be there, which is the hardest part of it all." He later reiterated his distress and the urgency of the situation, telling followers, "I miss my baby girl. I don't want to lose her."
The family made the medical emergency public while also seeking financial support to cover the costs tied to the sudden airlift and ICU care. A GoFundMe campaign organized through a close friend was launched to help defray mounting medical bills and transport expenses. Niedermeier-Rubio acknowledged the discomfort of soliciting assistance, saying he was "honestly embarrassed to ask for help," and credited a friend named Toni for encouraging them to accept outside support. By Thursday afternoon the fundraiser had raised more than $106,000.
As the family sought help, representatives and advocates moved on multiple fronts to secure Armando's entry. Arizona Representative Adelita Grijalva and U.S. Senator Mark Kelly intervened on the family's behalf, and immigration attorney Kelsey Zubkoff worked with officials to obtain an emergency humanitarian parole. Niedermeier-Rubio publicly thanked the lawmakers and legal team, and also expressed gratitude to Customs and Border Protection officers in Arizona who ultimately approved and signed off on the temporary entry waiver that allowed him to travel to Phoenix.
Composite photo juxtaposing a relative with the teenager outside and a separate hospital post-procedure image, illustrating the family's reunion and the patient's ongoing care in Arizona.
Upon his arrival, Niedermeier-Rubio shared video of an emotional reunion with Hannah in her hospital room. He said the adolescent had undergone a successful, unspecified procedure and displayed immediate signs of physical improvement after the intervention. Despite the improvement, he was clear that clinicians still had not reached a definitive diagnosis for the cause of the brain bleed. "Although we still have so many unanswered questions as to the cause of her medical emergency and still seeing how she progresses," he said, acknowledging the uncertainty that remains even as his daughter shows signs of recovery.
Medical staff at the Phoenix facility told the family that parental presence had a measurable effect on Hannah's recovery trajectory. Niedermeier-Rubio relayed that caregivers reported improvements in the hours after he reached her bedside, and he publicly commended his husband for stepping into a caregiving role while he was unable to travel. "Special love for @kenneth_90day my husband who has been nothing short of a stand up husband, father & human, stepping up in my absence," he said, adding that Kenny's presence had provided comfort during the crisis.
Throughout the ordeal Niedermeier-Rubio kept followers updated with short videos and social posts, clarifying at points that reports of him having already crossed the border were inaccurate. He credited a combination of public advocacy and private legal work for bringing his case to the attention of federal lawmakers and border officials. "Family, we did it, you did it, I made it to my baby girl!" he said in a post after arriving in Phoenix, thanking supporters for contacting officials, tagging public accounts, and amplifying their situation.
In addition to the public thanks to elected officials and border personnel, Niedermeier-Rubio expressed gratitude to supporters from the 90 Day Fiancé community and beyond who contributed to the fundraising effort and sent messages of encouragement. He repeatedly urged followers to give only what they could afford and to share the campaign if they could not donate. The family's accounts note that while immediate surgical and intensive care needs were addressed, further diagnostic work remains necessary and the timeline for full recovery is still being determined by Hannah's medical team.
As the teenager continues to receive care in Phoenix, family members remain at her bedside, and medical staff are continuing diagnostic testing to determine the underlying cause of the brain bleed. Niedermeier-Rubio's arrival following the emergency parole has brought the parents together during the critical recovery period, but clinicians have emphasized that more information is needed before a full prognosis can be given. The family has maintained a public account of the crisis, sharing updates on the girl's condition, the progress of treatment and the logistical and financial challenges that accompanied the emergency transfer and prolonged hospitalization.
The situation drew attention from both private supporters and public officials, illustrating the rapid mobilization that can accompany a cross-border medical emergency. Niedermeier-Rubio closed a social update by thanking those who had offered assistance: "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all ❤️ Cannot express what my heart feels for all of you." The family continues to balance immediate medical care with ongoing communication to supporters while clinicians work to clarify the medical cause and chart the next steps in Hannah's recovery.
Kenny Niedermeier told TMZ that while the lack of a diagnosis remains very frustrating, Hannah is improving and making headway; she appeared in shock upon first seeing her father in person but smiled and has progressed more since his arrival. The family is grateful for thousands of supportive messages and a fan-launched GoFundMe.
Family updates posted by the campaign say doctors performed an angioplasty after initial scans failed to identify the cause of Hannah’s brain bleed, a step clinicians pursued to obtain clearer diagnostic information.
The GoFundMe, created by family friend Toni Parker, quickly grew beyond the roughly $106,000 reported earlier; independent reports put donations at about $135,000 and later above $139,000, and organizers subsequently raised the campaign goal to $210,000 to cover ongoing care and related expenses.
Armando’s immigration attorney, Kelsey Zubkoff, publicly appealed to the Department of Homeland Security to expedite humanitarian assistance and has disputed online claims that Armando’s entry was delayed because he had overstayed a prior U.S. visit.