Wren Michelle Roberts arrived in the world against long odds. Her parents, Nick and Savannah Roberts of Louisiana, were told their daughter had a rare genetic mutation found in only about 15 documented cases, one that caused three heart defects, placed her stomach in her chest, and left her with spina bifida and no spleen. Doctors warned the family she likely would not survive birth. Savannah, a nurse, understood the prognosis in clinical terms. Then Wren was born anyway.
She had spinal surgery at just one week old. Now three weeks into her life, Wren is doing the ordinary things that mean everything: drinking from a bottle, using a pacifier, yawning, cooing, raising her arms, sneezing, and crying. Her mother told reporters that hearing her cry was “heaven sent.” Her pediatrician at Ochsner Children’s Hospital, Dr. Gabriella Bluett-Mills, said she has never seen all of these conditions together in a single patient.
Her father started a Facebook group called Wren’s Warriors to share updates, and it has grown into a community of thousands, with fundraisers helping cover the family’s ongoing medical costs. Stories like this one land a little differently here on the Suncoast, where so many of us have sat in a hospital waiting room or leaned on neighbors during a hard season. The Roberts family is finding out that a support network can show up from anywhere.
Have you ever been part of an online community that carried you through something difficult? Tell us about it in the comments.
