21 Weeks and 5 Days
At just 21 weeks and 5 days gestation, Amanda experienced PPROM — preterm premature rupture of membranes. We were admitted to HealthPark Medical Center, Antepartum Floor in Fort Myers, Florida.
A NICU doctor sat with us and explained that if labor began before 22 weeks, no life-saving measures would be attempted. We were living hour by hour.
Born at 22 Weeks and 2 Days
Bentley was delivered via emergency C-section after sudden drops in his heart rate. He weighed 1 pound, 4 ounces.
He entered the world at the very edge of viability — where survival statistics are low and uncertainty is constant.
Born at the edge of viability - fighting from the very first breath.
176 Days in the NICU
Bentley spent 176 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Every day brought new challenges — respiratory complications, procedures, medications, and setbacks.
As his father, I learned that strength is not loud. It is quiet consistency — showing up every day, sitting beside an incubator, believing in a future you cannot yet see.
Our family learned what it means to live inside a hospital, balancing hope with realism.
The PICU and Critical Nights
In February 2025, during a stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, doctors told us on two separate occasions that Bentley might not make it through the night.
"There were nights we were told to prepare for goodbye. Nights we had to scramble to arrange family to help with our other two children. Nights filled crying and praying for god to spare our child. But every night, morning came."
Those moments changed us forever.
Coming Home
Today, Bentley is home. He remains on a ventilator with a tracheostomy for respiratory support, receives oxygen therapy, and is fed through a G-J tube.
He takes 15 medications daily and participates in physical and occupational therapy.
His fight continues — but it continues at home.
When a Story Becomes a Movement
What began as one father sharing updates has reached more than 14 million people worldwide.
Bentley’s journey has inspired families walking similar paths, showing that resilience can exist even in uncertainty.
The Foundation in the Making
Extended NICU and PICU stays create financial and emotional strain that many families are unprepared for.
Our vision is to build a foundation that provides relief, resources, and support to families facing prolonged hospitalizations due to medical complications.
