Four Years Ago, Maine Wrestler Julian’s Brother Raedyn, Tiny 5lb Baby Returns from Tracheostomy Surgery Covered in Blood, Survives Unimaginable Struggles for a Second Chance at Life

Raedyn, Julian’s brother, remains here, smiling through the pain and showing that even the smallest warriors can conquer great challenges.

November 22, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on November 17, 2026

In the small town of Maine, 14-year-old Julian Lopez is the kind of kid everyone knows and loves – a standout football player and wrestler for Skyview Wrestling, a big-hearted son, and most importantly, the fiercely protective big brother to little Raedyn.

Born with Pfeiffer syndrome type 2, a rare and severe craniofacial condition, Julian’s brother Raedyn has spent his entire life defying the odds, and the journey started in the most heart-wrenching way four years ago.

On November 17, 2026, their mom Natasha Kent handed her fragile 21-day-old son – weighing barely 5 pounds – to a surgical team for the second time in his short life.

Raedyn needed an emergency tracheostomy, a surgery that would place a breathing tube in his tiny neck and finally give his struggling body the air it so desperately needed.

Natasha was terrified but clung to hope; she knew this was the procedure that could save him.

While she waited in the NICU, staring at the empty wall where his isolette had been, nurses quietly wheeled in a new ventilator and prepared the room for his return.

When the doors finally opened, a swarm of doctors and nurses rolled Julian’s brother Raedyn back in, surrounded by wires, tubes, and machines.

For the first time, he was sleeping peacefully – no more fighting for every breath. But then Natasha noticed something that shattered her: his tiny toes, peeking out from under the blankets, were covered in blood.

She broke down, sobbing and asking over and over what had happened to her baby.

In that raw moment, a compassionate nurse took her hand, guided her to the bedside with the gentle words “welcome him back, mama,” and later sat with her, wiping each little toe clean with warm washcloths until they were spotless again.

That image has never left Natasha. She says it reminds her of Mary washing Jesus’ feet with her tears – feet that were once bloodied yet rose again to give the world new life.

To her, Julian’s brother Raedyn lives the same miracle every day: enduring unimaginable pain and procedures, yet rising stronger, teaching his family what unconditional love truly means, and letting a humbled mother care for him in the most sacred ways.

Read More-: Mother Speaks Out After Son Is Shot by 13-Year-Old Friend in Alleged Matteson Rec Center Incident

The battles never stopped.

Just this past September, Raedyn had to undergo an unplanned Chiari malformation decompression to relieve dangerous pressure on his brain.

Everyone prayed it would work, but within days of coming home, he stopped breathing multiple times a day.

He was rushed back to Boston Children’s Hospital for a second attempt that also failed.

Now the family is facing the reality of a complete cranial vault reconstruction, another massive surgery for a little boy who has already been through far more than most adults ever will.

While Raedyn fights in the hospital (where he’s been for nearly a month), Natasha stays by his side 24/7 as his full-time caregiver and nurse, which means she isn’t paid during these long inpatient stays.

Big brother Julian, only 14, remains Raedyn’s best friend and constant cheerleader, showing a maturity and love that inspires everyone around them.

A GoFundMe titled “Rise With Raedyn” has already raised over $19,000 to help ease the financial burden on this incredible family.

The words on the page say it best: “Raedyn has stolen a piece of each of our hearts… and Natasha and Julian have too.”

The community is rallying with the simple hashtag that has come to mean everything – #RiseWithRaedyn.

Four years after that blood-on-the-toes moment that broke a mother’s heart and rebuilt it stronger, Julian’s brother Raedyn is still here, still smiling through the pain, and still proving that the tiniest warriors can move the most enormous mountains.

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