With heavy hearts, we share that our precious baby girl, Aria Kay, passed away on August 26th at only 19 days old. Our family is heartbroken beyond words. Since the moment we found out we were expecting Aria, we never imagined a future without her in it. We are still trying to make sense of it all and have had hardly any time to process everything that has happened over these past few weeks. 

 At 37 weeks pregnant, we were given devastating and unexpected news that our daughter would be born with no choice but to fight. At the time, the doctors were unable to give an exact diagnosis but believed it was one of two possibilities: hydrocephalus, which offered a better outcome, or hydranencephaly, which carried the most difficult prognosis. Neither could be confirmed until after she was born, leaving us with countless unknowns about what might happen in the moments following her arrival. 

 On August 7th, 2025, Aria was delivered via C-section and immediately cared for by the UIHC NICU team. Shortly after being stabilized and placed on a ventilator, further testing confirmed our worst fear. Our sweet baby girl had the most severe diagnosis — hydranencephaly. The next hours and days felt heavy and endless, filled with doctors, difficult conversations, and unimaginable decisions. Through it all, the most painful reality was one we could barely process: no matter what we did, no matter the choices we made, there was nothing that could save our sweet Aria.

 On August 12th, 2025, we made the decision to bring our sweet Aria home on hospice so she could be comfortable, held close, and surrounded by endless love with her family by her side. Neither we nor the doctors ever expected Aria to hold on and fight the way she did. Stubborn, strong, and determined just like her parents, we should have known. Our sweet girl was so brave, resilient, and full of quiet strength. We are forever grateful for every precious moment we had with her. She fought with such grace and courage, and yet each passing day made it harder knowing the time would come when we would have to say goodbye. 

 On August 26th, 2025, our sweet Aria’s journey on earth came to an end as she took her final breath, surrounded by love and family. We are so incredibly grateful for all the prayers, love, and support that have been sent our way. We also want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for your donations. This has all happened so unexpectedly, and with finances already being tight, your generosity has allowed us to focus on what mattered most spending precious time with Aria without the immediate weight of financial stress pushing us back to work too soon. For that, we are forever grateful. As we now take the necessary time to honor and remember our daughter, to grieve, and to begin processing this unimaginable loss, we would deeply appreciate any continued support to help us through this next chapter. If you are unable to donate, we ask that you please keep sharing Aria’s story and continue sending your love and prayers. They mean more than you will ever know.

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Aria Kay Obituary

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We are reaching out with a heavy heart to ask for your support. At 36-37 weeks we found out our daughter Aria will be diagnosed with a serious medical condition. Doctors are unaware what the exact diagnosis will be until they can do an MRI on her brain once she is born via C-section on August 7th it will either be hydrocephalus ( this condition is characterized by an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brains ventricles leading to increased pressure inside the skull. Treatment often involves the placement of a shunt to drain excess fluid and relieve pressure) or it could be hydranencephaly ( which is a rare congenital condition the cerebral hemispheres are severely underdeveloped or absent, replaced by a membranous sac filled with CSF. It results from abnormal brain development during pregnancy and is often associated with severe neurological impairments. The prognosis for infants with this condition is generally poor with many, not surviving past infancy) the Exact cause is unknown. With the out come being unknown our family is at a loss and do not know what to expect. Doctors are predicting it’s a 50/50 out come right now our daughter might only live for a year, months, weeks a day or an hour. All of Katie’s and Arias cares have been and will continue at the Iowa city children’s hospital for evaluation and possible treatment for the upcoming several weeks or more. As you can imagine the cost involved- Travel, lodging, time off work and care for our current kids and ongoing medical care- are beginning to add up quickly. Any contribution, no matter the amount, would make a huge difference for our family during this difficult time. Even if you can’t contribute financially, your prayers, well wishes, and sharing this message means more than you know! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

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@Nicholas-Asbell

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