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Families - 2026
Meet the Bodiford Family
Hi, we are the Bodiford’s! My name is Kansas and my husband is Joseph. I am 25 years old and my husband is 27. We have been married almost two years but have been together for over a decade! On September 5th, 2026 our daughter Kizzy Jo was born making us a family of three. Along with both of our families, we are natives of small town Barnwell, South Carolina. We are also proud Barnwell Warhorse Alumni. I am one of four daughters and Joseph has two brothers one of them being an identical twin. We have known each other since grade school. Joseph and I have been inseparable since middle school and that’s when our love story began. The older we grew, the more I knew he was my soul mate and that we would get married. After finishing college and starting our grown up jobs we got engaged in January of 2024. Our dreams came true on the day that we said I do. Surrounded by family and friends who patiently waited for that day to come I became Mrs. Joseph Bodiford in November 2024. Married life was no different for us being that we had been together for so long and so we thought the time was right to expand our family! We both knew and felt ready for the next journey in our life so we started trying for a baby in September 2025. We found out about our blessing, and that we were expecting in January of 2026. We were so happy that it was finally our turn and thankful that the lord trusted us to bring a beautiful baby into the world!
Little did we know all the ups and downs our pregnancy journey would entail. Little did we know or realize that in the very beginning of what was supposed to be the most wonderful and exciting event of our lives together would bring unexpected fears and stress. We went into this pregnancy expecting all the normal joy and surprises. Our dream of a healthy baby and our illusion of the perfect pregnancy came to a terrifying halt when at our 12 week appointment for bloodwork to find out the gender of our baby and for the required genetic testing all came back inconclusive with no results on a Friday afternoon. We then had to wait all weekend until Monday morning to find out any answers when my OB called and said he was referring me to a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) Doctor to hopefully give us more information regarding the genetic testing results. Her office called me and gave me an appointment for five weeks out. I immediately told the scheduler that my OB referred me to them and I needed to be seen sooner. The doctor called me back and explained to me that she couldn’t see us until I was at least 18 weeks gestation. The tests and scans she needed to rule out certain genetic anomalies wouldn’t show anything until then. She said if I already knew that I did not wish to continue the pregnancy she would see me sooner. I said I am not terminating off of one test result and that I would wait and pray! This meant waiting another five weeks. The anxiety of waiting and not knowing what to do was taking its toil on both Joseph and I and our families. All we could do was put our faith in GOD and pray for a miracle.
We finally made it to the 18 week anatomy scan, during this we were told our baby had an Omphalocele which is a birth defect where the intestines and sometimes other major organs are formed on the outside of the abdomen through the belly button. An Omphalocele is rare and affects 1 in every 4 to 5,000 births. Finding out about this condition was not the only concern. We were told that our baby was small for gestation, and these specific findings were consistent with a genetic disorder called Edward’s syndrome, also known as Trisomy 18 a rare and severe genetic chromosomal condition with a high mortality rate. With heavy hearts filled with fear and anxiety we put all our faith in GOD and continued to pray for a miracle. We waited two more weeks for additional genetic blood work on me and baby to come back and when the day finally came we were relieved to find out that our little miracle received her own miracle. The test results were normal for me and baby! While we still had to be closely monitored these results gave us some relief!
After finding out the gender, we decided to name our daughter Kizzy Jo Bodiford! Being that our baby was going to be unique we thought she needed a unique name. Kizzy was a family name on my husband’s side and Jo is for Joseph, which also happens to be my mother and father in laws middle name. From there, our pregnancy was watched very closely with many routine and high risk appointments. The MFM provider said most babies with omphaloceles could have heart problems so we were referred to pediatric cardiology to get an ECHO done. By the grace of God, ours didn’t and her ECHO and cardiac testing came back normal! This was yet another blessing from God! We also got referred to pediatric surgery, being that she would need an abdominal surgery at birth. After meeting with the general surgeons, we were told they did not and would not have a set plan until birth where they could fully assess the omphalocele to see if it was small enough to fit back into her abdomen right away. Or if it was bigger than expected she could have to wait to get the surgery. I then decided it was best to transfer my OB care from Piedmont to Wellstar MCG since that’s where Kizzy would undergo surgery, and I did not want to be separated from my baby at birth.
I can remember walking into one of the many appointments feeling so nervous and scared fearful that they would find something else wrong with our precious baby. This is a feeling that you never think you will have, or experience until you do. I can remember having all these fears and my faith started to shift, this was more than nerves. I started to question GOD. I remember asking him why us? Why my baby? What did we do wrong? In my grief and stress I ask why would you make us go through all of this? All we wanted in life was each other and our sweet Kizzy. We are faithful servants, we put all our trust and faith in God. I thought back on my sister’s pregnancies and their healthy babies, and was envious of them. In an instant he answered me. I humbled myself and surrendered all my fears, and thanked GOD for the blessings Joseph and I have had been given in life. I was so thankful for healthy nephews and a niece, and that my sisters did not have to endure all that we had. GOD chose us to be her parents. He knew before we did, and prepared us for this. He knew we could handle this situation, and he knew in my moments of weakness that I would call on him and trust him. He knew this would not overcome or defeat us!
Fast forward to August 18th, 2026.
I went into preterm labor, and was admitted to Wellstar MCG. We were told I might have to deliver our baby girl early if they weren’t able to stop my labor and contractions. This was very scary because I knew she was not ready. This would cause her to have more NICU time due to her being premature. However, they were able to stop my labor, and I got discharged after three days. Unfortunately, since I was already dilated, had a bulging amniotic sac, and our baby was high risk due to her birth defect we were told we could not return home to Barnwell. We did not have anywhere close to the hospital to stay so we began to stress and worry. By the grace of God we were told by the medical team that the Ronald McDonald House is on the same campus as the hospital was an option for us to stay at. They called, we filled out an application, and they said they had a room for us to stay in until we delivered our precious baby. This was a blessing that we did not know we would end up needing. We also were approved to stay after we delivered our sweet Kizzy Jo.
After staying at the Ronald McDonald House for 15 days, Kizzy decided it was time for her to come, my water broke late on September 4th. Kizzy Jo was born September 5th at 8:53am. She weighed 8lbs 11.7oz, 21 inches long which was a big surprise being that the whole pregnancy she was measuring small. The NICU team, surgeons and all other necessary staff were there at delivery. After turning blue and dropping her oxygen saturation, she was quickly intubated, and put on a breathing machine and rushed to the NICU. I had to wait four hours after giving birth to finally see her, and then when I did finally see her I could only hold her hand. Being in the medical field desensitizes you to some things but seeing your own daughter being on a breathing machine, having tubes. and machines all hooked up is very different and upsetting. Knowing there is nothing we can do to take her pain away or help her weighed so heavy on our hearts. After birth Kizzy stayed on the breathing machine until she was able to have surgery on Labor Day, the surgery went perfect, and she now has a small incision that will overtime heal and eventually become her belly button. She still remains in the NICU at this time breathing on her own, building up her feeding tolerance, and being the perfect blessing from God that she is! Although I am a nurse, it is definitely difficult to be on the other side as a parent. I am forever grateful for the nurses and staff that has helped take care of our baby. We are still awaiting genetic testing on both Kizzy and ourselves to get a better understanding of where the birth defect came from.
At this time, we are leaning on God and trusting in his plan that we will soon be able to take our beautiful baby girl home, and she will be fully healed. This is a testimony that we never knew we would have, and we are fortunate to be able to share with others! We are so thankful and blessed to have God through it all!
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Meet the Mixon Family
Hi, we are the Bodiford’s! My name is Kansas and my husband is Joseph. I am 25 years old and my husband is 27. We have been married almost two years but have been together for over a decade! On September 5th, 2026 our daughter Kizzy Jo was born making us a family of three. Along with both of our families, we are natives of small town Barnwell, South Carolina. We are also proud Barnwell Warhorse Alumni. I am one of four daughters and Joseph has two brothers one of them being an identical twin. We have known each other since grade school. Joseph and I have been inseparable since middle school and that’s when our love story began. The older we grew, the more I knew he was my soul mate and that we would get married. After finishing college and starting our grown up jobs we got engaged in January of 2024. Our dreams came true on the day that we said I do. Surrounded by family and friends who patiently waited for that day to come I became Mrs. Joseph Bodiford in November 2024. Married life was no different for us being that we had been together for so long and so we thought the time was right to expand our family! We both knew and felt ready for the next journey in our life so we started trying for a baby in September 2025. We found out about our blessing, and that we were expecting in January of 2026. We were so happy that it was finally our turn and thankful that the lord trusted us to bring a beautiful baby into the world!
Little did we know all the ups and downs our pregnancy journey would entail. Little did we know or realize that in the very beginning of what was supposed to be the most wonderful and exciting event of our lives together would bring unexpected fears and stress. We went into this pregnancy expecting all the normal joy and surprises. Our dream of a healthy baby and our illusion of the perfect pregnancy came to a terrifying halt when at our 12 week appointment for bloodwork to find out the gender of our baby and for the required genetic testing all came back inconclusive with no results on a Friday afternoon. We then had to wait all weekend until Monday morning to find out any answers when my OB called and said he was referring me to a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) Doctor to hopefully give us more information regarding the genetic testing results. Her office called me and gave me an appointment for five weeks out. I immediately told the scheduler that my OB referred me to them and I needed to be seen sooner. The doctor called me back and explained to me that she couldn’t see us until I was at least 18 weeks gestation. The tests and scans she needed to rule out certain genetic anomalies wouldn’t show anything until then. She said if I already knew that I did not wish to continue the pregnancy she would see me sooner. I said I am not terminating off of one test result and that I would wait and pray! This meant waiting another five weeks. The anxiety of waiting and not knowing what to do was taking its toil on both Joseph and I and our families. All we could do was put our faith in GOD and pray for a miracle.
We finally made it to the 18 week anatomy scan, during this we were told our baby had an Omphalocele which is a birth defect where the intestines and sometimes other major organs are formed on the outside of the abdomen through the belly button. An Omphalocele is rare and affects 1 in every 4 to 5,000 births. Finding out about this condition was not the only concern. We were told that our baby was small for gestation, and these specific findings were consistent with a genetic disorder called Edward’s syndrome, also known as Trisomy 18 a rare and severe genetic chromosomal condition with a high mortality rate. With heavy hearts filled with fear and anxiety we put all our faith in GOD and continued to pray for a miracle. We waited two more weeks for additional genetic blood work on me and baby to come back and when the day finally came we were relieved to find out that our little miracle received her own miracle. The test results were normal for me and baby! While we still had to be closely monitored these results gave us some relief!
After finding out the gender, we decided to name our daughter Kizzy Jo Bodiford! Being that our baby was going to be unique we thought she needed a unique name. Kizzy was a family name on my husband’s side and Jo is for Joseph, which also happens to be my mother and father in laws middle name. From there, our pregnancy was watched very closely with many routine and high risk appointments. The MFM provider said most babies with omphaloceles could have heart problems so we were referred to pediatric cardiology to get an ECHO done. By the grace of God, ours didn’t and her ECHO and cardiac testing came back normal! This was yet another blessing from God! We also got referred to pediatric surgery, being that she would need an abdominal surgery at birth. After meeting with the general surgeons, we were told they did not and would not have a set plan until birth where they could fully assess the omphalocele to see if it was small enough to fit back into her abdomen right away. Or if it was bigger than expected she could have to wait to get the surgery. I then decided it was best to transfer my OB care from Piedmont to Wellstar MCG since that’s where Kizzy would undergo surgery, and I did not want to be separated from my baby at birth.
I can remember walking into one of the many appointments feeling so nervous and scared fearful that they would find something else wrong with our precious baby. This is a feeling that you never think you will have, or experience until you do. I can remember having all these fears and my faith started to shift, this was more than nerves. I started to question GOD. I remember asking him why us? Why my baby? What did we do wrong? In my grief and stress I ask why would you make us go through all of this? All we wanted in life was each other and our sweet Kizzy. We are faithful servants, we put all our trust and faith in God. I thought back on my sister’s pregnancies and their healthy babies, and was envious of them. In an instant he answered me. I humbled myself and surrendered all my fears, and thanked GOD for the blessings Joseph and I have had been given in life. I was so thankful for healthy nephews and a niece, and that my sisters did not have to endure all that we had. GOD chose us to be her parents. He knew before we did, and prepared us for this. He knew we could handle this situation, and he knew in my moments of weakness that I would call on him and trust him. He knew this would not overcome or defeat us!
Fast forward to August 18th, 2026.
I went into preterm labor, and was admitted to Wellstar MCG. We were told I might have to deliver our baby girl early if they weren’t able to stop my labor and contractions. This was very scary because I knew she was not ready. This would cause her to have more NICU time due to her being premature. However, they were able to stop my labor, and I got discharged after three days. Unfortunately, since I was already dilated, had a bulging amniotic sac, and our baby was high risk due to her birth defect we were told we could not return home to Barnwell. We did not have anywhere close to the hospital to stay so we began to stress and worry. By the grace of God we were told by the medical team that the Ronald McDonald House is on the same campus as the hospital was an option for us to stay at. They called, we filled out an application, and they said they had a room for us to stay in until we delivered our precious baby. This was a blessing that we did not know we would end up needing. We also were approved to stay after we delivered our sweet Kizzy Jo.
After staying at the Ronald McDonald House for 15 days, Kizzy decided it was time for her to come, my water broke late on September 4th. Kizzy Jo was born September 5th at 8:53am. She weighed 8lbs 11.7oz, 21 inches long which was a big surprise being that the whole pregnancy she was measuring small. The NICU team, surgeons and all other necessary staff were there at delivery. After turning blue and dropping her oxygen saturation, she was quickly intubated, and put on a breathing machine and rushed to the NICU. I had to wait four hours after giving birth to finally see her, and then when I did finally see her I could only hold her hand. Being in the medical field desensitizes you to some things but seeing your own daughter being on a breathing machine, having tubes. and machines all hooked up is very different and upsetting. Knowing there is nothing we can do to take her pain away or help her weighed so heavy on our hearts. After birth Kizzy stayed on the breathing machine until she was able to have surgery on Labor Day, the surgery went perfect, and she now has a small incision that will overtime heal and eventually become her belly button. She still remains in the NICU at this time breathing on her own, building up her feeding tolerance, and being the perfect blessing from God that she is! Although I am a nurse, it is definitely difficult to be on the other side as a parent. I am forever grateful for the nurses and staff that has helped take care of our baby. We are still awaiting genetic testing on both Kizzy and ourselves to get a better understanding of where the birth defect came from.
At this time, we are leaning on God and trusting in his plan that we will soon be able to take our beautiful baby girl home, and she will be fully healed. This is a testimony that we never knew we would have, and we are fortunate to be able to share with others! We are so thankful and blessed to have God through it all!
