M.E.N.D. Chicagoland Leadership Team

Sam Benson - CHAPTER DIRECTOR

My husband and I lost our second child, David Scott Benson Jr. (Dj) when he was 3 days old. At his 20-week anatomy scan one of the chambers of his heart looked small. As 32 weeks approached, the Biophysical Profile revealed that one of the vessels in his cord was low. I was sent to the hospital later that night and I am still traumatized from the experience of learning just how sick my baby really was. Another fetal echo was performed, and they could see Dj had an aorta coarctation. Once he was born on February 11, 2023, we found out more. His esophagus and trachea were detached and he also had a second thumb on his left hand. The Doctors called it VACTERL Syndrome. Three days later, following heart surgery, at 7:15 PM he went home to be with Jesus. 

Even though family and friends came to rally around us, I didn’t feel a sense of being heard until I attended my first M.E.N.D. support group. That’s when the real healing began. As the Chapter Director for M.E.N.D. – Chicagoland, it is my desire for parents just like my husband and me to be heard, and know they are not alone. We’d love to have you join us at one of our monthly support groups to hear your story and love on you as you grieve your loss.

Chapter Assistants