We recently received some unexpected news during our 20 week anatomy scan. Our sweet baby boy (our first child) has been diagnosed with Gastroschisis, a rare condition where the abdominal doesn't fully close, causing the bowel to develop outside the body.

While this news was a lot to take initially, we are incredibly comforted to know that Gastroschisis has a very high success rate of 95% when managed by the right medical team. Our baby is a fighter, and we are already doing everything we can to prepare for his arrival in late January or early February.

Because of this diagnosis, our pregnancy and delivery plan will look a bit different. We are transitioning our care to a specialized hospital here in San Antonio equipped with a level IV NICU and a dedicated pediatric surgery team. Immediately after birth, our baby will undergo surgery to repair the opening and will need to spend his first 4 to 6 weeks of life in the NICU while his digestive system heals and learns to function.

How You Can Help:

We are incredibly grateful for the amazing medical community in San Antonio guiding us, but navigating a month plus long NICU stay comes with significant financial hurdles. Many have asked how they can support us during this time. We are launching this page to help cover the everyday cost that allow us to stay with and focus entirely on our baby.

Any donations will go directly toward:

• Medical Bills & Excess Costs: Helping to cover insurance deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket medical expenses.

• Time Off Work: Offsetting lost wages so we can take the necessary time away from work to be at our baby’s bedside during those crucial first weeks.

• Commuting & Parking: Gas, tolls, and daily hospital parking fees for traveling back and forth  to the Medical Center.

• Meals & Hospital Amenities: Food and essentials during long days and nights at the hospital.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love, kindness, and support.

With love,

Aspen and Jonathan Roderick