Maleah's mother shared video of her daughter with ABC13 in Houston.
The video shows nurses wheeling Maleah to her hospital room after undergoing surgery in March.
She cracks a smile while holding a rainbow balloon, and the room erupts in cheers.
Maleah vanished in early May. Her mother's former fiancé, Derion Vence, has been charged with evidence tampering in the case.
Investigators said they believe Vence knows where Maleah is, but he will not tell anyone. They said
"The evidence shows that we believe she has been murdered. Let's bring this baby home, proper burial," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. "Without finding that body, there is a hole left out there. We want to give them the closure, of both charges and finding her body."
A total of $20,000 in rewards have been offered for information leading police to her location or a conviction in the case.