New parents of premature twin girls appreciate Variety’s Compassion Fund helping to make 32 days in the hospital a little easier

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - As the stockings are hung on the mantle, new parents Destiney and Steven Benish are busy keeping tiny socks on their little twin girls.

Evelyn and Faye are a little over a month old now. They were born six weeks early. New father Steven is still getting used to his new name, Dad.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, it hasn’t really hit me,” Steven said. “It’s definitely a lot of work.”

Destiney said the pregnancy was very hard, and that she had a number of health complications.

After 12 hours of labor and a C-section, Faye came into the world weighing 3 pounds, 13 ounces, and Evelyn at 3 pounds and 15 ounces. Both had to be on oxygen. Evelyn also had a heart murmur and jaundice.

“It’s supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life having a baby, or babies, in our case, and it absolutely is but nobody wants to be in the NICU, nobody wants to not be able to take their babies home right away,” Destiney said.

The hospital was home for 32 days. The babies had to learn how to be babies, learning how to eat with underdeveloped cheek muscles. While their whole world was in their hospital room, life outside the door was still happening, with extra unexpected expenses. Any time off from work meant Steven wasn’t getting paid. He would get up at four, leave to let their dog out at home in Shellsburg, go to work, go back to Mercy in Cedar Rapids, and then do it all again the next day.

Little expenses like paying for that extra driving, meals in between trips, and more size preemie outfits added up. The Variety Compassion Fund was there to fill in the gaps.

“Words can’t really express how thankful we are for it because it really did ease some of that stress and burden,” Destiney expressed.

While the new parents say caring for newborn twins is hard, they’re thankful they had a little help to get through those days in the hospital.

“We’ve told already just about everyone we know, because we were so shocked by it,” Destiney said. “We didn’t expect it, and it was really great for us, so we’ve been shouting it from the rooftops.”

To donate to Variety’s Compassion Fund, call 319-378-6400 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Or donate on their website anytime at https://www.varietyiowa.com/grants-programs/compassion-fund/.

Copyright 2020 KCRG. All rights reserved.