As the Rodriguez family looks to the community for financial assistance, you can be a hero for Hero.
PORTLAND, Texas — Eight-year-old Hero Rodriguez has lived up to his name since the day he was born.
Hero was diagnosed with Ebstein’s Anomaly, a rare congenital heart defect where the valve separating the upper and lower chambers of the right side of the heart doesn’t form correctly during pregnancy. After years of monitoring, doctors have scheduled him for open-heart surgery with a world-renowned specialist in April 2026.
The procedure is considered life-saving, and the Rodriguez family is asking for the community’s help as they prepare.
Mary Ann Rodriguez, Hero’s mother, said the inspiration for his name came while the family was watching the Disney movie Big Hero 6 during her pregnancy.
“My husband and I looked at each other and said, ‘you know, Hero is a good name,’” she said.
Hero spent his first four weeks of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while Hurricane Harvey was battering the Texas coast. Since then, his smile and energy have been a source of strength for his family.
“He takes it like a true hero. It’s amazing,” Mary Ann said.
Hero enjoys playing with his younger sister, Nea, helping around the house and eating his grandmother’s cherished family recipes.
“I put in an extra ingredient — a lot of love,” his grandmother, Dolores Rodriguez, said.
In October 2023, doctors recommended surgery within three years, a timeline that put new urgency on fundraising. To prepare, the family has leaned on their community for support.
“The outpouring of support from strangers, family and friends has been incredible,” Mary Ann said. “Hearing other people’s testimonies gives me hope that he will be in good hands.”
Faith has also been a steady source of comfort.
“Faith is everything,” Mary Ann said. “You can’t tell there’s anything wrong with him. He’s just an eight-year-old kid having fun with his siblings.”
To care for Hero and his siblings, she left her job as a nurse in 2019. Mary Ann now homeschools all four of her children and serves as Hero’s full-time caregiver.
The Rodriguez family says they are grateful for the community’s help as they prepare for Hero’s surgery next spring. Please consider donating to their GoFundMe page, as no amount is too small to be a hero for Hero.