In 2014, one of my high school students became family. Her name is Gabby, and over the years, that bond never faded. This past May, Gabby stepped into a new chapter of her life when she gave birth to her first child — a beautiful baby boy named
Bodhi. She began motherhood on her own, a full-time single mom filled with determination, love, and quiet strength, planning to return to work when Bodhi was just seven weeks old.
But life had other plans.
On Sunday, June 16th, when Bodhi was only five weeks old, something wasn’t right. He was inconsolable, whimpering in pain even while sleeping — a sound no parent ever forgets. Trusting her instincts, Gabby rushed him to
Children’s Mercy in Overland Park, desperate for answers. What doctors discovered was both shocking and terrifying: intussusception, a serious condition where part of the intestine folds into itself, cutting off blood supply and causing intense pain.
Because of the severity of his condition, Bodhi was immediately transferred to Downtown Children’s Mercy, where a team of 12 specialists stood ready, waiting for him. By 10:30 p.m.
, Bodhi was taken into emergency surgery. For two agonizing hours, surgeons fought to save his life. When the surgery ended, Gabby was told that one-third of her tiny son’s intestines had been removed.
For a baby barely a month old, it was a devastating blow.
Now, sweet Bodhi is in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), surrounded by machines, monitors, and constant vigilance. His abdomen remains
open, with what is left of his intestines carefully positioned outside his body while doctors monitor for further damage and wait for swelling to go down. It’s a fragile, terrifying balance — one that requires minute-by-minute care.
Bodhi is currently intubated, relying on a ventilator to breathe while his body heals. Doctors are preparing for a second surgery, where they will assess whether additional damage needs to be removed and, if possible, finally close his abdomen. Until then, everything remains uncertain. His future holds many possible outcomes, and no one yet knows which path his recovery will take.
What is known is this: Bodhi is fighting.
And Gabby is fighting right alongside him.
Gabby will be staying in the hospital with Bodhi for a minimum of three weeks
, possibly longer. The place she once planned to return to work — her job as an hourly employee at an Autistic Early Childhood Care Center — is now on hold indefinitely. There is no clear timeline for when she can return, because her only focus right now is being by her son’s side.
I’m writing this while doctors attempt once again to place Bodhi’s PICC line, a process that has already been difficult and painful. Gabby stands close, watching every movement, every breath, every monitor — doing what mothers do best, even when there is nothing she can physically fix. She keeps vigil, pouring all her strength into loving him through the hardest days of his life.
No parent is ever prepared for this kind of crisis — especially not a brand-new, single mother whose world changed overnight. Beyond the emotional weight, there is the heavy, relentless burden of
medical bills, living expenses, and lost income. The practical worries do not disappear just because your child is fighting for his life. They pile up quietly, pressing down when you are already exhausted.
That is why we are asking for help.
Any funds raised will go directly toward supporting Gabby and Bodhi’s living expenses and medical costs, allowing Gabby to focus entirely on her son’s long and uncertain recovery without the added fear of how she will survive financially during this time. Taking even a small portion of that burden off her shoulders can make a profound difference.
Bodhi is more than a patient in the PICU. He is a five-week-old baby who should be learning the sound of his mother’s voice, the comfort of her arms, the rhythm of a normal life. Instead, he is teaching everyone around him what resilience looks like — tiny, fragile, and astonishingly strong.
Gabby never expected to walk this road so early in motherhood. But she is walking it with courage, devotion, and love that does not waver, even in the face of fear. She is showing up every moment, just as she always has — as a mother, as a fighter, as family.
I will continue to share updates as they come. For now, we ask for prayers, support, and compassion. Whether through donating, sharing Bodhi’s story, or simply holding them in your thoughts, every act of kindness matters.
Right now, all their energy needs to go into one thing:
Helping baby Bodhi heal — and bringing him through this fight, one day at a time.