Jocelyn and Jared Rodriguez were so excited to become first-time parents. But at 18 weeks pregnant, the expectant couple learned their daughter would be born with spina bifida, meaning her spinal cord would not be properly developed.
Jocelyn was taken to Orlando Health, a hospital where surgeons use a new procedure to fix birth defects like spina bifida while the baby is still in utero.
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Needless to say, the thought of having their unborn daughter undergo surgery in the womb made Jocelyn and Jared incredibly nervous.
For these procedures, doctors use a combination of MRI and ultrasound imaging to print a 3D replica of the fetus. This allows them to get an up-close and personal look at how the birth defect affects the baby's brain and skeletal structure, and also prepare for any dangers and risks before such delicate surgery.
In the video clip, the doctor hands Jocelyn and Jared the replica. At first, Jared said, he and Jocelyn figured it was just a model to show them what spina bifida looked like — but then the doctor told them it was an actual replica of their own daughter based on her 20-week MRI.
