Help Mary and Carlos spend time with their newborn and heal

Bashy’s Mom, Mary, here. Sebastian is truly the greatest gift from God to both Carlos and me, as well as to his two sisters, Sophie and Savanna. Our sweet boy was born on October 27, 2024, at 9:09 am, weighing 5 lbs 5 oz and measuring 19 inches long. For those who don’t know, Sebastian shares a birthday with his dad. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

We were finally blessed with our boy. Many mothers had explained how the love I would feel for my son would be different. When we found out we were having a boy, I immediately envisioned our future together. I imagined bringing Sebastian home from the hospital and introducing him to his sisters, saying, “This is your brother.” I pictured watching the three of them grow up together, seeing them play and laugh with one another. I wondered who Sebastian would side with to pick on the other sibling or if both sisters would team up to pick on him. I thought about what song he might choose for our mother-son dance at his wedding. But who would have thought that all these dreams and visions would soon become blurry and unfamiliar to me?

About halfway through my pregnancy, during my anatomy scan, the results came back abnormal, requiring further imaging. For three long and difficult months, I met with specialists from Neurology, Cardiology, Endocrinology, and had repeated ultrasounds to monitor Sebastian’s growth and my amniotic fluid levels. Sebastian was diagnosed with a condition called Alobar Holoprosencephaly. Although his condition could have genetic or chromosomal causes, or perhaps no known cause at all, we know that Sebastian chose us to be his parents, and what an honor it is to have him as our son. Since birth, Sebastian has been intubated, and the uncertainty of his life remains. After receiving MRI results following his birth, we understand the severity of his condition and know we must cherish every moment with him.

All donations are blessings during this time, whether they be financial, physical, or spiritual.

For those unfamiliar with GoFundMe, or prefer to donate via an alternative method, please reach out as we are unable to post the information on GoFundMe.

Thank you all for surrounding us with love, and most of all, thank you for loving our sweet Sebastian.

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Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

I’m reaching out on behalf of my life-long friend, Mary and husband Carlos, who recently gave birth to their beautiful baby boy, Sebastian. Immediately after his birth, Sebastian was placed in the NICU on a ventilator, and doctors are uncertain about how long he will be with us.

During this incredibly emotional and fragile time, Mary and Carlos are balancing the desire to spend every possible moment with their baby. Mary needs to heal physically, and they both need space to heal mentally, and emotionally without the added stress of unpaid time off work and mounting medical bills.

They unfortunately do not have fully paid maternity leave, which means they are facing the difficult choice between being by their son’s side and the financial security to provide for their family. No one should have to make such decisions, especially in a time like this.

We are raising funds to help cover the costs of the medical bills for Sebastian’s NICU care, to provide financial support for Mary and Carlos during their time off, and to ease the burden of day-to-day expenses as they focus on caring for their son. Every dollar raised will go directly to ensuring that they can be present for their baby, without the constant worry about finances, so they can focus on making memories and finding peace.

Please consider donating if you can and sharing this page. Your support—whether financial or simply through kind words and prayers—means the world to Mary, Carlos and her family during this unimaginable time.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us provide this gift of time and care.