Beloved BookTok author and former Food Network star Abby Jimenez informed fans that her teenage daughter, Maya Jimenez, is hospitalized in El Salvador, marking her third hospital visit of 2026.
Abby Jimenez’s Daughter Hospitalized
Jimenez, known for romance novels such as “Just for the Summer,” “Part of Your World,” and “Yours Truly,” took to social media on Thursday, January 22, revealing that her 18-year-old daughter is fighting an infection in the hospital.
“Maya’s at it again, this time with a nasty small bowel infection. She’s been hospitalized in El Salvador since last night. She’s getting excellent care in a very nice hospital, she’s in good spirits, and we’re expecting her to be released tomorrow,” Jimenez shared via Facebook. “Mr. Jimenez’s aunt here is a world-renowned pediatrician, and she’s been with us every second, so we feel really good about the treatment plan and care she’s getting. We’re not sure what she got just yet, nobody else is sick. She’s tested negative for everything, but the bacteria culture will take 3 days. It’s likely a bacterial infection.”
Jimenez explained that Maya’s stay in the El Salvadoran hospital marks her third hospital visit of 2026. Her first was due to a “head bonk” with the family’s dog, Tess. Second was just yesterday, when she was rushed to the hospital in Guatemala for the same “stomach thing.”
“We decided to get her to El Salvador so she could be under the care of her aunt for the duration of her treatment,” Jimenez continued. “That’s three hospitals, three countries, in the first three weeks of 2026. A Maya new personal best.”
Fans Send Abby Jimenez’s Daughter Well-Wishes
As fans of the “Cupcake Wars” star know, Maya has battled many chronic illnesses throughout her young life.
In May 2025, doctors discovered Maya had endometriosis.
“It was more than they expected and “more endometriosis than teens usually have”. They had to take out her appendix since there was endometriosis there as well, which was a surprise, but it’s a useless organ so she won’t miss it,” Jimenez shared at the time.
In 2023, she was diagnosed with POTS and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Fans flooded the comments sections with humor and well-wishes.
“Here’s too meeting your deductible? Feel better soon Maya!” one follower wrote.
“She looks really happy for bowel problems, I reckon that’s a good sign 😆😆 get well soon, Maya!” another added.
“Maya! She is the toughest kid, and the universe better freaking have some sort of amazing positive karma thing waiting for her, because she’s been through it! So glad Carlos’s aunt is with you guys to help navigate the medical stuff!” a third commented.
