Rhodes’ NICU Journey at Children’s Hospital Colorado
October 23, 2026
Born at just 24 weeks and weighing barely over a pound, Rhodes faced overwhelming odds from his very first days of life. Today, thanks to expert care at Children’s Colorado and his own remarkable determination, he’s thriving, skiing, and proving what’s possible for even the tiniest patients.
From the moment he was born, Rhodes’s life has reflected the extraordinary impact of compassionate care and cutting-edge medicine.
After years of trying to give his big sister, Poppy, a sibling, his parents, Allo and Drew, turned to a gestational surrogate and successfully implanted twin embryos. Just one week later, Allo herself discovered she was pregnant—with twins. The surreal reality of two simultaneous twin pregnancies quickly turned serious when she delivered Rhodes and his twin sister Rigsby only 24 weeks gestation, each weighing barely over a pound. Rigsby tragically passed away two days later, and Rhodes’s survival was uncertain. Intubated for a month, his lungs failing, his tiny body battling pneumonia and a blood clot, doctors warned he might never walk, talk, or even make it home.
But Rhodes had other plans.
Rhodes is part of a remarkable trio — his younger siblings Ziggy and Banks were born via the family’s surrogate just days after his own due date. The three share a unique bond and are celebrated as triplets. Ziggy and Banks have helped Rhodes grow in countless ways, and their connection is undeniable. “Rhodes and Ziggy are inseparable,” Allo shares. “They follow each other everywhere. It’s like he sees Rigsby in Ziggy—there’s something really special between them.”
Rhodes remained hospitalized in the NICU for five months, undergoing a hernia surgery and receiving intensive care at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Rhodes faced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disorder that affects babies born prematurely and can lead to vision loss or blindness. Yet through it all, the hospital’s multidisciplinary team—pulmonologists, ophthalmologists, cardiologists, surgeons, and therapists—worked together to help him defy every expectation.
We were told he might never walk or talk and would likely have Cerebral Palsy. Now he’s biking, climbing, and chatting away with his best friends. Children’s Colorado gave us our miracle.
Allo, Rhodes’ Mother
Rhodes even skis every weekend in the Colorado mountains.
Every milestone Rhodes reaches is not only a triumph of his own – it’s a quiet tribute to his sister, Rigsby, whose memory lives on in the strength and spirit he carries forward.
“Rhodes is living proof of what love, medicine, and miracles can do.”
Rhodes’s story is a testament to the power of expert care, early intervention, and the unwavering spirit of a little boy who was born 4 months too early who refused to give up.