Keylla Ivonne Hernández Ramos (May 10, 1973 – December 31, 2018) better known as Keylla Hernández, was a Puerto Rican television reporter. She worked for

WAPA-TV WAPA-TV (channel 4) is a Spanish-language independent television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the flagship and namesake station of Guaynabo-based WAPA Media Group. WAPA-TV maintains studio facilities on Luis Vigoreaux Avenue ...

and was the co-anchor of the station's morning news show, ''Noticentro al Amanecer''.

Personal

Hernández was born on May 10, 1973 in

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez (, ) is the ninth-largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Township of Virgin of Candelaria, Our Lady of Candelaria), and is also ...

. Hernández had a husband, Robin, and two sons. She graduated in journalism from the

Universidad del Sagrado Corazón Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (English: University of the Sacred Heart), abbreviated "USC" and often called simply Sagrado, is a private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is one of the oldest and larg ...

in 1995. During her cancer battle, Hernández befriended

Puerto Rican Independence Party The Puerto Rican Independence Party (, PIP) is a social-democratic political party in Puerto Rico that campaigns for the independence of Puerto Rico from the United States. Those who follow the PIP ideology are usually called ''independentist ...

's politician and governor candidate

Juan Dalmau Juan Manuel Dalmau Ramírez (born July 23, 1973) is a Puerto Rican politician, attorney and a candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rican Independence Party.Marilyn Pupo Marilyn Pupo (born November 23, 1950) is a Cuban-born Puerto Rican actress, singer and television show host. She is known for her stint as a television show host at Telemundo Puerto Rico's Noche de Gala alongside Eddie Miro, and for starring i ...

, among others.

Disease

During 2015, Hernández went to a doctor's checkup following a chest injury;

x-rays An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

and further testing revealed she had lung cancer. Hernández made a public announcement concerning her diagnosis during a live broadcast. At first she showed some improvements and she briefly returned to co-anchor ''Noticentro al Amanecer'', but was re-diagnosed during the summer of 2018, this time with

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

. She flew to

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, for monthly treatments and further testing at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Death

Hernández died of cancer at a Puerto Rican hospital on December 31, 2018, surrounded by her family. Hernández's funeral was partly held at the Palacio de Recreación y Deportes coliseum in her native

. Her funeral was broadcast live to

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Her ashes were scattered in Puerto Rico. In addition, many people came from across Puerto Rico to see her for the last time at her Mayagüez wake.

Legacy

Governor

Ricardo Rosselló Ricardo Antonio Rosselló Nevares (; born March 7, 1979) is an American former politician, businessman, neurobiologist and educator. He served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 until his resignation in 2019. In 2021, he returned to active ...

expressed that "(he was) lamenting the sad news of the passing of Keylla Hernández. Her battle against cancer was an example of tenacity that inspired many in a similar situation. (Rosselló's wife) Beatriz and I send a solidarity hug to her family, her co-workers at @WapaTV, and her friends".

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

mayor,

Carmen Yulín Cruz Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto (born February 25, 1963) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as mayor of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico from 2013 to 2020. From 2009 through 2013, Cruz served in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. Ea ...

. meanwhile, declared that the city's flags would fly at half-mast.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Keylla 1973 births 2018 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in Puerto Rico Deaths from liver cancer in the United States People from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican television journalists Puerto Rican Catholics Puerto Rican actresses Universidad del Sagrado Corazón alumni

Personal

Disease

Death

Legacy

See also

References