Warrior Little Boy Puts Up Incredible Fight After Being Born With His Intestines Outside His Body
Most people don't realize what a miracle getting pregnant is until they begin trying. The stars have to align perfectly for the right egg to meet the right sperm in order to create viable life. The fragility of that life is never more apparent than when that pregnancy goes sideways in any way.
Jasmin Garcia, 31, and husband Zechariah Garcia, 34, know all too well how fast things can change.
"Our pregnancy before Leonardo's diagnosis was incredibly exciting-it almost felt surreal, like 'wow, this is really happening!'" Jasmine tells Parade. "We had been trying for months after experiencing a miscarriage the previous year, so as we moved through this new pregnancy, we became more joyful and eager with each prenatal visit. Zechariah and I both come from big families, so becoming parents was always something we knew we wanted for ourselves."
But when the time came for their 19-20 week anatomy scan, excitement turned to fear; they found out that the little boy they were expecting had developed gastroschisis, which presents as evidence of free-floating bowel outside of the fetal abdomen.
"In this abnormality, there is a full-thickness abdominal wall defect next to the umbilical cord site, usually to the right, through which fetal bowel protrudes into the amniotic cavity," Dr. James Hole, Medical Director, Maternal Fetal Center, Valley Children's Healthcare, tells Parade. "They can be classified as simple or complex, based on the presence or absence of other fetal intestinal abnormalities. Approximately 75% are simple, and 25% are complex."
Hole further explains that outcomes of gastroschisis are also influenced by factors like "maternal medical conditions, fetal growth abnormalities, gestational age at delivery, and status of the bowel at the time of delivery."
"The incidence is approximately 1 in 4,000 to 5,000 deliveries and is increasing," he adds. "It is more common in certain situations, such as maternal age less than 20, BMI less than 20, exposure to certain illicit drugs, alcohol, some medications, or environmental exposures."
It was, without a doubt, a terrifying development for the Garcias.
"The diagnosis was a hit to my heart," admits Jasmine. "Zechariah wasn't familiar with the condition at the time and was trying to process everything as the provider explained it to us. But as a pediatric nurse, I was familiar-and it felt like my entire world stopped in that moment."
"The idea of a 'normal' pregnancy was suddenly gone, and all I could think was, 'Is our baby boy going to be okay?" she adds. "That question stayed with me at every appointment after that."
Luckily for their son, whom they would end up calling Leonardo, doctors had a plan to help him live the best life he could.
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Leonardo's Remarkable Surgery
Though the Garcias were officially in a high-risk pregnancy, Valley Children's Healthcare guided them throughout the entire process, which Hole said basically entails a methodical approach to pregnancy. It requires:
- Multidisciplinary Consultations: Patients consult with an OB provider, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, a pediatric surgeon, a neonatologist, and, often, a genetic counselor.
- Specialized Care Facility: Delivery must be planned at a center that provides all required medical specialties.
- Diagnostic Evaluations: Further testing includes a detailed fetal anatomy ultrasound and, often, a fetal echocardiogram.
- Ongoing Monitoring: Serial ultrasounds reassess fetal growth, amniotic fluid volume, and bowel appearance.
- Antenatal Assessment: Assessments of fetal well-being typically begin at 28–32 weeks.
- Delivery Timing: Recommended delivery is between 36–39 weeks, though approximately 50% deliver before 36 weeks.
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Hole reminds parents that the best thing they can do is be prepared to go with the flow.
"The treatment plan for Jasmine and Leonardo required alterations as the pregnancy progressed," explains Hole. "As occurs in more than 50% of cases, Leonardo developed significant fetal growth restriction (small for gestational age growth), and Jasmine developed cholestasis of pregnancy, both of which altered decision-making regarding pregnancy follow-up and delivery planning. Further changes in the care plan were then required when Jasmine had preterm premature rupture of membranes at 33-34 weeks."
"Leonardo had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery at 34 weeks and weighed 3 pounds 15 ounces," says Hole. "Neonatology was present for the delivery, and after stabilization in the delivery room, the infant was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for further treatment and surgical consultation."
"Leonardo's early days were spent in the NICU, where he was fighting to recover and grow stronger after surgery," Jasmine says. "He was born prematurely at 34 weeks and underwent surgery just a couple of hours after birth. He also battled pneumonia, low blood pressure, and required intubation during his first few days of life. Seeing him like that, with all the tubes and IV lines, was hard, but I knew he was where he needed to be, and that gave me some peace of mind."
How Leonardo Is Doing Today
Thankfully, his recovery went better than either his parents or the medical team had anticipated. Leonardo graduated from the NICU early and has progressed beautifully since.
He is now 18 months old and hitting all the milestones they had hoped for. Jasmine reports that his symptoms don't really impact his day-to-day life, and loves to climb and roughhouse just like any little boy his age.
While the Garcias will have to regularly follow up with specialists due to his condition, which can potentially force him to develop issues like constipation, blockages, and hernias as he grows, he hasn't faced any of those complications and has been growing beautifully.
What felt like one of the scariest moments for us turned into a journey that showed us how strong we all could be, how important having the right support is, and how resilient these tiny babies truly are," Jasmine adds. "Taking things one day at a time, and watching Leonardo grow stronger each day, made all the difference for us."
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 7:50 AM.