Hello everyone, my name is Emily and I made this GoFundMe on behalf of my best friend Maria Cabezas and her husband Jesus Cabezas. Last year they found out they were going to be second-time parents to not one but two baby girls. They were nervous but overjoyed with this wonderful gift, however, around 15 weeks pregnant they received some heart-wrenching news. Baby B (Emery) has Gastroschisis, a birth defect in which the baby's intestines extend outside of the abdomen through a hole next to the belly button. Maria had to visit her OBGYN and a specialist every other week to ensure babies were growing fine but most importantly to keep up with Emery's condition. You can imagine the cost of doctor visits plus the cost of a specialist plus all the ultrasounds. Because the babies are twins, the ultrasound cost was double the price. Bills started to add up and their insurance would not cover it. 
     Further into the pregnancy they were informed their local hospital was not fully equipped to care for a baby with gastroschisis, and she must find a hospital either in Tampa or Miami (they live in Naples, Fl), which either option is far from their home. Now not only do they now have enormous medical bills but also the additional bills and stress of relocating to Miami because that's where Emery will receive the best care possible. The twins were born on January 13, 2021, at South Miami Hospital via vaginal delivery. From the moment Emery entered the world, she was quickly put on the operating table to get her organs back inside her abdomen. She was born with her small and large intestines out, along with her appendix, ovary, and stomach. You can imagine the cost of such surgery, which is approximately $120,000! that is not to include her NICU stay, medicines, X-rays, and other medical procedures. She is estimated to be in the NICU for at least 2-3 months. An average NICU stay is about $3,000 per day. 
     I am making this GoFundMe in hopes of helping them financially. Their medical bills from the moment she got pregnant to the moment Emery leaves the NICU will start to quickly pile. She is a former teacher but now a stay at home mom, and Jesus is a firefighter; there is only so much they can cover with their income. They are the most wonderful parents and people, and I know they have many people who love them dearly as well. The donations will help them tremendously while they go through such a difficult time. We hope and pray for Emery to make a full recovery and for her to be reunited with her parents and sisters soon.