Brent and Megan Benes know that there is no greater blessing than that of family. They treasure time with their boys, 3-year-old Asher and 8-month-old Cruz, though family time these days looks different than what they pictured when they wed. When little Cruz was born, it was discovered that he was positive for CMV (Cytomegalovirus), the #1 birth defect in newborn children, resulting in low birth weight, small head, calcification of the brain, loss of hearing, poor eyesight, and other physical/mental disabilities. Most doctors don’t test pregnant women for the CMV virus, so the family didn’t learn of little Cruz’s challenges until he arrived on the scene, weighing in at 4lb 9oz. Cruz spent the first month of his life in the NICU and the next three at Children’s Hospital in Omaha. Four surgeries in as many months was not the welcome to the world that Brent and Megan wished for their baby boy, but they accepted their situation with unending grace, incredible strength — and more love than two people thought possible.

The new normal

While baby Cruz was in the hospital, Mom and Dad were receiving a crash course in CMV and developing a game plan. After facing more challenges, the Benes family has lined up some reinforcements and settled into their new normal. Megan was slated to go back to work in July, but her company generously extended her leave through August so she could have an adjustment period after Cruz’s homecoming. In anticipation for that same adjustment period, Brent took unpaid medical leave from his job through August, until his company moved overseas, which left him unemployed. While the silver lining currently to the unemployment cloud is that it allows him to act as the main caregiver to Cruz, the financial toll on the family has been enormous. Thanks to hospice and home care, medical professionals come in several times a week so Brent can look for a job and tend to his farm. Even with the in-home help, there isn’t much time to spare, though Brent and Megan make every effort to make sure Asher gets the attention a little guy needs from his mommy and daddy. He doesn’t really mind sharing them; everybody loves baby Cruz.

So many sacrifices

Mary Benes, Brent’s mother, nominated the family for a Magic Moment, telling us that she would like to see them do something fun together, and to have some time for themselves — a break from this emotional, exhausting, and unimaginable experience that has turned their world upside down. These amazing parents are dedicated to their children and have made many sacrifices for their family: personally, professionally, and financially. They don’t think twice about it, but we think it’s something to celebrate.

UBT and our amazing partners wanted to honor the Benes family by stirring up some holiday magic, complete with passes and tickets for a year’s worth of family fun, a tour of the Magical Lights of Lincoln, gas cards and new tires for the car, a date night for Brent and Megan at Casa Bovina and the Kindler Hotel, and some relaxation for both parents. Asher is ecstatic over his cars and trucks, while baby Cruz received items to level up his comfort and care and is snuggly in his Goosewaddle pillow.

Brent, Megan, and boys, we wish you so much magic this season. Have a happy holiday, Benes family!