TORONTO - The saga of an infant girl no one expected to live is turning a new page as her parents prepare to take her home from hospital, but not without some fresh drama.

A family representative has appealed to media to shuttle the girl home by helicopter.

Three-month-old Kaylee Vitelli defied doctors' fatal prognosis last month and her heart -- which her parents publicly hoped would be donated to another critically ill baby -- continued to beat in her own tiny body.

She is now healthy enough to be raised in her family's residence north of Toronto.

How she gets there may net one media outlet an exclusive story -- should any be willing to fund a medical grade, six-seat helicopter. That's the exchange proffered by a family spokesman Wednesday, one day before the baby was to be discharged from the Hospital for Sick Children.

"Our ultimate goal was to reach out to our media friends and see if any of our media friends would be interested in picking up the cost of a chopper to fly the baby home," said J.P. Pampena after calling the media to his offices in the basement of his Toronto bungalow.

"The family would allow that reporter to basically travel with them in the air and to land with them."

As of late afternoon Wednesday at least one media outlet had made an offer, along with at least one other donor, said a spokeswoman from Pampena's office.

Kaylee suffers from a rare brain condition called Joubert syndrome, which causes her to stop breathing up to 100 times an hour. It was initially believed she would stop breathing and die when the family chose to take her off a life-supporting respirator while she slept.

National media flocked to the world-renowned hospital, keeping watch for days after her parents disclosed they were pushing for her heart to be transplanted so another infant could live.

Instead, Kaylee rallied to the point where she's now "bounced back," Pampena said, though adding she continues to use breathing machines, a feeding tube and needs intense medical support.

After learning her parents, Crystal Vitelli and Jason Wallace, were planning to drive her home tucked into a car seat, machines by her side, Pampena suggested they seek the media's help.

The couple live in Bradford, Ont., about a 70-kilometre drive from the hospital.

"An hour-and-a-half in a vehicle, anything can go wrong, anything," he said. "Especially with a baby like Kaylee, she's very unpredictable."

A chopper ride would take only about 17 minutes, he said.

Offering one reporter exclusive access during that pre-paid journey, which he estimated could cost at least $800 each way, didn't pose any ethical dilemma, he said.

"You people have brought (her story) to the forefront, you can't take that away from yourselves," he said, adding he found it impractical for reporters to follow an ambulance on the highway.

While he made the proposal to media, he said the family is also willing to accept a donated ride from a helicopter company or funds from other donors.

If more than one media outlet offers to fund the helicopter ride "names will be dropped into a hat," he said.

A private ambulance company had already offered to drive Kaylee home by the time Pampena made his appeal.

His public relations firm was still waiting Wednesday afternoon for clearances from the hospital to use their rooftop landing pad, as well as from South Simcoe Police, who would be required to block off both ends of the street in front of the family's home.

Upon arrival at home Thursday, Kaylee will be briefly introduced to the media, Pampena said.

"The family's very pumped up to take her home. God bless 'em," he said.