Customers at the Mitchell St. Biggby in Cadillac were given the chance to round up their total to support a local family dealing with their youngest sons' medical complications since his birth 11 months ago.
On August 5th, 6th and 8th a round-up option was offered to customers, raising money for the Benson family whose youngest son, Layn, has been in and out of a Grand Rapids hospital since his birth.
Emily Benson, Layn’s mother, says the family “didn't know anything was wrong” with their newest addition until the day after his birth. That day, they found out Layn had a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot- a heart condition that involves four abnormalities in the hearts structure that prevents oxygen-poor blood from reaching the heart to get oxygen.
After his heart defect was discovered, Layn was airlifted to the Helen DeVos Hospital in Grand Rapids. Benson says they were released from the hospital in December of 2023 but soon became a frequent visitor to the hospital due to infections and illnesses that followed.
Now, doctors have discovered that Layn’s airway was collapsed by a natural material in his airway. This development in Layn’s journey means 24/7 monitoring and ventilation support.
Benson says the 24/7 care that Layn now needs caused her to quit her job and has her currently spending the weeks at the hospital with her husband visiting on weekends.
“We’ll get private duty care, but they can only do so many days, so the plan is I’m going to stay home with him while he's on vent support,” said Benson.
According to Benson, one of their biggest struggles dealing with their new situation is the insurance denials for Layn’s necessary medical equipment.
“We’re trying to appeal that process but, in the meantime, he’s got to have these things so we’re purchasing those,” Benson said. “We have three other kiddos at home, so, you know, life out here doesn't stop.”
Benson says the family never expected to receive support from the community, especially to this compacity. “It was just one of those things we were dealt so we were going to make it work,” said Benson.
Another Cadillac local, Anne Hinkley, had the Benson family in mind while preparing for the second annual Spooky Sophie’s Halloween Bash- a celebration of life for Hinkley’s daughter who passed away from cancer in 2023.
Hinkley says the community came together to raise money for her family after the loss of their daughter, and she wanted to provide the same support for other families in this tough situation.
Though Hinkley says she did not know the Benson family personally, she had been sharing their story on Facebook and says it spoke to her. While finding donations for the Halloween Bash raffle and auction, Maryanne from the Cadillac Biggby contacted her.
Hinkley says Maryanne “got the ball rolling” on the round-up as well as donating to the auction and raffle.
Benson says she is overwhelmed by the community support and says it's amazing to see how a small town can come together.
“The people that are sharing [our story] and reaching out to me and that small town support has been amazing,” Benson said. “In the community, you get these connections, and you don't feel alone anymore, that's the most amazing thing I can say about all of this.”
