Help Kristiana and Marco Honor Baby Karina

Hello, my name is Kimberly Martens and I am a close friend of the family of Kristiana and Marco Mendez. It is with the heaviest heart that I write what I hope to be a beautiful tribute to their baby girl, Karina Sofia Mendez, who earned her angel wings on March 5, 2025. On behalf of the family, it is my greatest pleasure to share their journey.

In August 2024, Kristiana and Marco were overjoyed and blessed with the news that they had become pregnant. Like most pregnant women, Kristiana began struggling with fatigue and morning sickness, but everything was otherwise going smoothly. Right around her 16th week, Kristiana remembers feeling much better and actually being able to enjoy and embrace her pregnancy.

On the day Kristiana became 20 weeks along in her pregnancy, the unimaginable happened. She awoke to a large amount of water on her bed. Heart beating out of her chest and plagued with feelings of worry and panic, Kristiana and Marco drove to the hospital, which would begin a tumultuous journey in itself. Medical professionals confirmed that Kristiana’s amniotic sac was leaking, that her “water” had broken early, leaving them with only two choices: 1. Terminate the pregnancy, and 2. Stay pregnant with risks of high complications including but not limited to Kristiana or Karina developing an infection and going septic, going into labor (with an unlikely survival rate due to being less than 24 weeks gestation), or Kristiana potentially losing her uterus. Continuing on with the pregnancy despite the high risk, and even the risk of her own life, was their choice. Kristiana and Marco, through a choice built upon faith and love, chose to fight for their baby girl.

On December 8, 2024, Kristiana was admitted to the hospital to have continuous monitoring and antibiotics. Two days later, Kristiana was sent home to be on bed rest until the 24th week of pregnancy (viability point), at which time she and baby Karina would be transferred to the hospital. Filled with determination, and the support of Marco doing literally everything he could to ensure care to Kristiana and Karina, they made it to the 24th week. Days felt like weeks and weeks felt like months, with the only goal in mind to bring their beautiful baby girl into this big world. Seven days after being readmitted to Munster Community Hospital, Kristiana was determined to be in active labor and gave birth to their beautiful baby girl, Karina Sofia Mendez. Weighing 1 lb 3 oz, Karina was defying all medical odds as a beautiful NICU warrior. Things were looking great during her first few weeks of life. Out of pure, unconditional love, Kristiana and Marco were dedicated to their beautiful baby girl as she was thriving and achieving NICU milestones.

Monday, February 24, 2025, is the day that things took a violent turn for the worse. Baby Karina had fallen ill and required numerous medical intervention techniques including the use of antibiotics, morphine, dopamine, lipids and proteins, the use of two different ventilators, and a paralytic to stop her from moving. At this moment, time froze, yet it was all they had to endure to determine the fate for baby Karina.

March 5, 2025, came the most difficult decision that Kristiana and Marco would ever have to make. Karina Sofia, after numerous medical interventions and techniques, while being surrounded by her immediate family, was taken off life support. At that time, Kristiana held Karina, while Marco held them both, and Karina took her last breaths as her heart ceased to beat. It was in that moment that Karina earned her angel wings and changed the lives of all of her loved ones.

There are no words for a loss of this magnitude. There’s nothing to be said to make this any easier. My hope for this GoFundMe is to assist the family in being able to provide a beautiful tribute for their daughter, while also working toward rebuilding and readjusting to their current situation.

Kristiana and Marco spent countless hours, days, and weeks in the hospital and in the NICU fighting for baby Karina. As a result, they had to take unpaid time off work, and now face tremendous financial hardship as they try and navigate a proper burial and memorial for their daughter, while also being left to resolve incurred medical expenses. It is my greatest hope to if nothing else, assist the family in obtaining some financial relief during this impossible hardship.

Karina Sofia Mendez, a beautiful angel sent directly from the hands of God, has impacted the lives of many. Karina has paved the way for Kristiana and Marco, as well as their family, to develop an unconditional lifelong love. Karina deeply impacted the lives of many. She was the best version of Kristiana and Marco, and her legacy will live on through them. Karina Sofia, through unconditional love, compels her family to become the best versions of themselves in her honor.

Karina Sofia Mendez, fly high beautiful baby ️

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be” ❤️‍