My brother, Nick, and his wonderful wife Bekkah welcomed their first baby girl, Rowyn on November 28, 2025. Mid pregnancy, they learned that Rowyn had a heart condition, "Ebsteins anomaly," the severity of which we wouldn't know until after she was born. 

Ebstein's anomaly is a rare heart defect where the tricuspid valve is malformed and doesn't close properly, allowing blood to leak backward. This forces the heart to work much harder, leading it to enlarge and causing major issues including irregular rhythms, fatigue, and shortness of breath as it grows and puts pressure on her lungs.

Rowyn's EA is a severe case. Her heart is 3x the size it's supposed to be. Her amazing team of doctors have attempted several procedures to place a stent to help control the blood flow, but unfortunately the opening continues to be too wide.

Today, 12/23/25, Bekkah and Nick are standing by as she goes into a 5-hour surgery for a "systemic-to-pulmonary shunt" procedure. She is being prepped for surgery as I type this through tears.

Nick and Bekkah have only been able to hold her a handful of times. Bekkah is faithfully pumping breastmilk for her, praying for the opportunity to nurse and snuggle her baby.

Many of you helped contribute by donating baby items (car seats, clothing, etc. - THANK YOU!!) and I'm praying that you may be willing to help again.

Nick and Bekkah live 2 hours away from the hospital where Rowyn will be in ICU for the foreseeable future. We are so thankful that there was space at the Ronald McDonald house for their family. Nick has been unable to work regularly as he tries to spend as much time at the hospital as possible, while also caring for for their two older sons. Bekkah has not been home in over a month and spends every waking minute with Rowyn.

I'm hoping to raise funds to help get them through this extremely difficult time.

Every donation and prayer is a beacon of hope in the face of uncertainty and financial hardship. Every donation—no matter how small—will help ease some of their burdens as they navigate this difficult journey with our brave little Rowyn.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the donations and prayers.

Gwen Snodgrass (Strickland)

#RowynsJourney