Defying the Odds

By Aprille Spivey

Springdale coaches Meagan and Brett Hobbs are used to the unexpected.

In sports, things can change quickly: referee calls don’t go your way, a key player gets injured, an overzealous fan accidentally throws something onto the field.

So when Meagan, a teacher and girls’ volleyball coach at J.O. Kelly Middle School, was unexpectedly induced 13 weeks early with the couple’s first child due to serious pregnancy complications, she and Brett, a teacher and head football coach at Springdale High School, immediately recruited star players for their baby’s team: surgeons and neonatal specialists at Arkansas Children’s.

A Tiny Life Saved With Your Help

Meagan gave birth to Caperton “Cape” in October 2024. At just 1 pound, 6 ounces, Cape, considered a micro-preemie, was rushed to Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) on an Arkansas Children’s Angel One helicopter, where he spent the next 179 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), fighting for his life.

Meagan says Cape was born at 27 weeks but was closer to the size of a 25-weeker. At such a small size, Cape's primary concern was his lungs, which weren't yet fully developed. He was born with several birth defects, all affecting his lungs: a tracheoesophageal fistula, which is an abnormal connection between the trachea and esophagus that can allow air to leak into the stomach and food or stomach acid to enter the lungs; an esophageal atresia, where the esophagus develops into two unconnected sections, keeping food and saliva from passing from the mouth to the stomach; and a duodenal atresia, a blockage of the small intestine that keeps food and stomach acid from passing through. Cape also had a hole in his heart, increasing blood flow to his lungs.

Life-Sustaining Care Made Possible by You

At just 1 day old, Cape, too tiny and fragile to move into an operating room (OR), had his first surgery in the NICU to implant a gastronomy tube (G-tube) into his stomach to receive food, fluid and medications, and in Cape's case, to relieve trapped air. Brett was there, but Meagan remained in northwest Arkansas for a couple of days to recover.

Knowing her baby son was having surgery was "indescribable," says Meagan. "It's gut wrenching. It feels like your heart is living outside your body and, ultimately, your entire world is left in the hands of someone else. You feel so helpless, and all there is to do is sit in your thoughts and prayers."

Thankfully, Meagan and Brett’s prayers were answered … Cape’s first surgery was a success.

Cape's doctors wanted him to weigh at least two pounds before operating a second time. But Cape had gained just two ounces when his doctors determined stomach fluid was spilling into his lungs, causing significant damage. The hole in his heart had resolved with medication, but he needed surgery to stop any further damage to his lungs. Still too fragile to move to the OR, this surgery was also performed in the NICU, and Cape was the smallest child on which the surgeon had ever performed this procedure.

This was also the day Meagan was finally able to hold her son for the first time.

"They were trying to save his lungs," Meagan says, adding that the news was devastating considering his small size. "We knew it needed to be done. There's nothing scarier than knowing there's a good chance he won't come out of this."

Cape did come out of it, and his third and most extensive operation came after he'd grown to four pounds. The reconstructive surgery repaired the two atresia conditions, permanently disconnected his trachea from his esophagus and connected the two sections of the esophagus together, and rearranged the orientation of his intestines.

All three of these life-saving surgeries are rare in a baby Cape’s size.

Breathing Again

After Cape’s successful surgeries, Meagan and Brett felt like they could see light at the end of a very long tunnel.

"The worst was behind him," says Meagan. "All Cape had to do then was focus on recovering and growing. I remember walking back to see him after the last surgery. He was swollen and had his little chest tube again, but he did it and survived and was so strong. I could finally breathe."

In April 2025, Cape was able to go home to Springdale with his parents for the first time. Looking back at those six months they spent in the ACH NICU is bittersweet.

"It's a really hard journey overall. Unless you've lived it, you don't really get it," Meagan says. "But those Arkansas Children's doctors and nurses, they get it because they see it every day. It's nice to know they genuinely care."

“Arkansas Children’s is the best at what they do,” Brett says.

Although Cape was able to join his parents at home, his health care journey was far from over. In fall 2025, Cape had a fourth surgery to repair an inguinal hernia, which is when tissue, such as part of the intestine, protrudes through the abdominal muscle and is often painful. Unfortunately, the hernia has recurred, and Cape will need a fifth surgery to re-repair it. Surgeons will also check on repair sites from previous operations to be sure he doesn't need his esophagus widened.

Your Support Matters

Meagan says that, at 2 years old, Cape is happy and active. "He loves to play with his toys, especially his balls and cars, being outside and all things water. Our biggest goal right now is his oral feeding, so he can be G-tube free one day."

Cape continues to attend multiple therapies a week and is "working hard to catch up on all his milestones," says Meagan. "His medical journey is complex and ongoing, but he is making slow and steady progress. We could not be more proud of how far he's come!"

The Hobbs are grateful to Cape's Arkansas Children's care team and to YOU for your generosity. "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting the only Level 4 NICU in the state of Arkansas," says Meagan. "Without your donations, babies, like our son Cape, would not survive to share their inspirational stories."