Doctors told Nick and Savannah Roberts their daughter would likely not survive birth. Three weeks later, Wren Michelle Roberts is drinking from a bottle, taking a pacifier, and doing the ordinary infant things her parents once feared they'd never witness — yawning, cooing, raising her arms, even sneezing.
A Diagnosis That Upended a Pregnancy
The St. Charles Parish family's ordeal began 20 weeks into Savannah's pregnancy, when routine tests revealed something was wrong, according to Fox 8. Wren was eventually found to have a rare genetic mutation, three heart defects, spina bifida, no spleen, and a stomach positioned in her chest instead of her abdomen — a combination so severe that physicians warned she might die before or shortly after delivery. The family, per the same report, went as far as planning a funeral for the weekend following her birth.
Wren was born on September 7 and, against that grim forecast, cried for the first time. Her father, Nick Roberts, has said she is one of about 15 documented cases like hers that he's aware of. He described the underlying problem simply: the body is not being told by the brain how to properly form everything, he said, according to the station's account.
Wren's Complex Diagnosis
Wren's diagnosis includes a missing spleen, a diaphragmatic hernia that displaced her stomach, and multiple heart defects.
Wren's diagnosis also includes congenital diaphragmatic hernia and spina bifida.
Doctors Call Her Case a First
Wren's complex care pediatrician at Ochsner Children's Hospital, Dr. Gabriella Bluett-Mills, has said Wren is one in a million and that she had never before seen all of Wren's conditions occurring together in a single patient, per the station's report. Bluett-Mills added that Wren's case is an important reminder to health care professionals, and that doctors will simply have to follow her and let her show what she can do.
Wren underwent spinal surgery on September 14 to address her spina bifida, and the outlet reported that she was meeting developmental milestones. Savannah Roberts said her daughter's survival made her believe in miracles.
Wren's Complex Medical Needs
Wren was born without a spleen, one of several conditions in her complex diagnosis.
She is being treated at Ochsner Children's Hospital, which has been named Louisiana's top children's hospital for five consecutive years in the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings and ranks among the nation's Top 50 programs in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery, according to Ochsner Health. Ochsner is also building the Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children's Hospital, a project focused on advancing pediatric health care.
Wren's Warriors Shares Updates and Fundraisers
Nick Roberts started a Facebook group called Wren's Warriors to keep family and friends updated on his daughter's progress. The group has drawn thousands of followers and now also serves as a hub for fundraisers helping cover the family's ongoing medical costs.
