Bennett was supposed to be home with his parents and three big sisters for the holidays.

Instead, the seven-month-old has spent months in hospital, enduring major heart surgery, dialysis, breathing support and a series of complications that have kept his family by his side.

Born on May 19 with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect involving an atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) and Tetralogy of Fallot, Bennett spent his first four weeks and one day in the NICU and PICU.

There were several hospital stays afterward, but everything changed on October 12, when Bennett was admitted because his oxygen levels had fallen.

Just three days later, doctors had to perform an emergency open-heart operation — weeks earlier than originally planned.

His parents had hoped the earlier surgery meant they might be home by Thanksgiving. Instead, Bennett returned from the operating room on ECMO, a machine that temporarily supports the heart and lungs, while his kidneys suffered a major setback.

He was started on dialysis, and the family held onto hope that his kidneys would recover.

But they did not.

Five weeks after the first surgery, doctors performed a pressure study and discovered that a small residual opening in his heart was allowing blood to flow in the wrong direction at a ratio of 2:1.

In simple terms, Bennett’s lungs were receiving twice as much blood as they needed, while the rest of his organs were receiving only about half as much.

On November 26, six weeks after his first operation, Bennett underwent another heart procedure.

For his family, it was another moment of hope.

“We kept thinking that if we could just get through the next hurdle, maybe his kidneys would recover and we could finally bring him home,” his family shared.

But the road became even more complicated.

After weeks on a breathing machine, Bennett was finally taken off it two weeks after his second heart surgery. His dialysis treatment was also changed, with a catheter placed in his abdomen.

Then the catheter began leaking.

The drainage later changed color, and Bennett had to return to his previous form of dialysis, requiring lines to be placed in his neck again. The very next day, he needed breathing support once more, while the fluid coming from his chest tubes increased dramatically.

Doctors diagnosed him with chylothorax, a complication involving the buildup of lymphatic fluid around the lungs.

After spending nearly ten weeks at the same hospital, Bennett needed specialized care that was not available there.

On December 22 at 8:05 p.m., the little boy was placed aboard a helicopter and transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago — around three hours from his family’s home.

For his parents, it was another heartbreaking chapter in an already exhausting journey.

“The last 10 weeks have been impossible to put into words,” his family said. “But somehow, we have kept going because Bennett keeps giving us reasons to.”

Throughout the ordeal, Bennett’s three older sisters have been waiting for their baby brother to come home.

His parents have also tried to keep their family and everyday life together while facing mounting expenses. His father has continued working remotely with tremendous support from his employer, while his mother cares for their children at home.

“We are doing everything we can to be there for Bennett while still taking care of our girls,” the family shared. “We just want our little boy to have the chance to come home.”

The family says medical bills, housing, food and frequent travel to Chicago have placed increasing pressure on their single-income household.

With a new insurance deductible beginning in January, they are now asking for support as Bennett continues his fight.

After months filled with hospital rooms, procedures and uncertainty, his family’s greatest wish remains simple: to see Bennett get stronger, come home to his sisters, and finally experience the childhood they have been waiting to give him.