Mother raises awareness for congenital heart disease

By JADE BULECZA

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — Little Brendan is the strongest human Brandy Bentley has ever known.

“There were plenty of times that we were in the hospital that I just wanted to break down and lose it, but I was like, ‘You can’t do that because he needs his mom,'” said Brandy Bentley, Brendan’s mother. He battled congenital heart disease. In his 15 days of life, Brendan’s family made the most of it. Brendan was baptized and held by his mom and dad as much possible. “I was very, very heart broken,” said Bentley. “I was in the middle of pediatric nursing rotation when we got our diagnosis. So, at the same time as being a parent trying to learn about my child’s heart, I was also the nursing student learning about these conditions as well.” Bentley says they were working through the process to get him a heart transplant. “Over 50 % of them don’t make it to their first birthday like my son. But I have seen a lot babies like my son make it to their first birthday, and I’m in groups with their moms cheering for them every milestone they make,” said Bentley. On Feb. 10, Bentley will celebrate Brendan with a remembrance birthday. It would have been his first birthday. February 6-13 is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week in Louisiana.

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