Ten weeks into the pregnancy of their second child, Noah and Jazlyn Goodwin of Cody chose to know the gender of their new baby.
An ultrasound revealed a daughter is being added to their growing family. They already have a 2-year-old son, Axyl.
“We were super excited,” Noah Goodwin said.
But during a recent 20-week anatomy ultrasound, Jazlyn’s OB-GYN informed the couple that the scan showed something “suspicious” about the development of their unborn daughter’s heart.
The image showed the possibility of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
The syndrome is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a condition that occurs during formation of the left side of the heart, impacting blood flow through the organ.
It is a critical congenital heart defect.
Goodwin said they were referred to a pediatric heart specialist in Billings, Montana, and during a visit on Jan. 7 both the specialist and an OB-GYN confirmed the diagnosis.
“The cardiologist told us that it’s just a fluke deal,” Noah said. "There’s no rhyme or reason for it.
"It’s just in the first nine weeks of her heart developing something in the genetic code decided to attack itself.”
The current hope and plan is that their baby, who they’ve already named Ellidy, will be born naturally in early May at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver, and after that a series of surgeries will need to be performed.
“The longer she is in my wife, the better,” Goodwin said. “We are hoping that everything stays natural.
"The best-case scenario is that we can hold onto her for seven days before surgery and the worst-case scenario is that she comes out and goes straight back for open heart surgery.”
Army Veteran
A U.S. Army veteran who operated a Patriot missile battery, Goodwin was medically retired from the service in 2024 after five years.
When he and Jazlyn were returning to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, from Cody a few years ago, they saw the name “Ellidy” somewhere along the way and liked it.
They decided if they ever had a daughter, that would be her name.
The couple, both now 25, met while teens.
Noah attended Cody High School and Jazlyn went to high school in Powell. They have been married six years.
“We met our senior year, and then just never left each other’s side,” he said.
The news about their unborn daughter has upended their lives and plans. Family and friends are stepping up to help.
Goodwin said he was in barber school when he learned about the condition and has since transitioned to working for his father doing woodworking. Jazlyn works in a day care in Cody.
Five weeks before the baby’s due date in early to mid-April, doctors want the couple to move to Denver and be available in case the baby has issues requiring her to be taken before full-term.
Goodwin hopes to find an online job that will allow him to keep some kind of income flowing for the family so they don’t “drown” in debt.
He said the family has Tricare insurance because of his veteran status, but will need to relocate for an extended period as Ellidy goes through the surgeries.
“Our focus is just doing everything we can to prepare and get ready for the fight of our lives for her,” he said.
Family Help
Noah’s brother and family have started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family prepare for the transition and time in Denver.
Medically, they’ve been told that Ellidy will need her first heart surgery within the first seven days of her life, and then be placed in the hospital’s cardiac neonatal intensive care unit.
The first surgery will involve reconstructing the baby’s aorta and placing a shunt that allows oxygenated blood to flow to her lungs.
The surgery is followed by a period of recovery and monitoring to ensure the baby remains stable. The period could last up to six months.
The second surgery redirects blood from the upper body to the lungs reducing heart strain on the baby and the third procedure later in childhood is designed to redirect blood flow and improve oxygen levels throughout the body.
“It’s a bare minimum of three operations and then it’s up to her heart after that third one,” Goodwin said. “She could potentially need a heart transplant. It’s all up in the air.”
Their daughter will likely require lifelong care and monitoring of her condition.
The couple are thankful for their families “who have been completely supportive” and for community members who have already offered donations and support.
The Goodwins said they have chosen not to dwell on the “why us” question and instead are choosing to be “grateful” for the love and support being shown them instead of “bitter” about the challenging road ahead for their baby and family.
“We’re almost overwhelmed by the community’s response to this,” Goodwin said. “We have so many people reaching out to us with all these resources.
"Everyone texting us, saying they are thinking about us and praying for us. It’s one of the reasons why we chose to move back to Wyoming. We love the community of Wyoming.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
