Hi, my name is Taryn and I'm raising money for my daughter Sophie.

Our beautiful daughter, Sophie Anne Roche, was born on September 1st, 2025 in Harare Zimbabwe — and from her very first breath, she’s shown us what true strength looks like.

At just 30 hours old, Sophie underwent a seven-hour life-saving surgery, followed by several other procedures and a 17-day stay in the NICU.

She was off the ventilator only three days after surgery, out of the incubator by day 10, and finally — on day 17 — we got to bring our miracle girl home.

Sophie was born with a rare condition called VACTERL Association.

It’s a group of birth defects that tend to occur together — VACTERL stands for Vertebrae defects, Anal atresia, Cardiac defects, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Renal anomalies, and Limb anomalies.

People diagnosed with VACTERL Association typically have at least three out of the seven defects.

Sophie was born with four of the seven possible defects, including:

Anal Atresia

Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Dysplastic Kidney

Missing half of one Spinal Vertebra

Despite these challenges, she continues to defy the odds with her warrior spirit.

While Sophie has already conquered so much, her journey is far from over. She will need four or five more major surgeries before she turns two years old. Her next two procedures for Anal Atresia are scheduled for February and April 2026, followed by her Tracheoesophageal surgery later that year.

Each of these surgeries is expected to cost around US$5,000, excluding hospital stays, follow-up care and rehabilitation- This is after medical aid assistance.

Right now, we are also facing a medical shortfall of US$7,000 from her initial surgery and hospital stay — covering:

3 surgeons

2 neonatal specialists

1 anesthetist

NICU care and recovery

The upcoming surgeries and procedures will add significantly to this total, and we are doing everything we can to make sure Sophie receives the best possible care.

We are reaching out with open hearts to ask for your help.

Whether it's a donation - however small, sharing Sophie’s story, or sending prayers and words of encouragement — every bit of love and support means the world to us.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading Sophie’s story, sharing her journey, and standing with us.

With endless gratitude and love,

Taryn & Lloyd Roche

✨ Our miracle girl continues to defy the odds — proving that even the tiniest warriors can have the biggest hearts.