❤️For Baby Mercy’s Strong Lungs and Heart Transplant ❤️

UPDATE 6/11/25 (Taylor’s words): A solid 24 plus hours on the conventional ventilator + hair wash and a good bath = a good day for our Mercy girl

She’s in a better spot with her fluid balance but still praying that continues and prayers that her respiratory support continues to move in the right direction.

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬ ‭

UPDATE 5/25/24 (Taylor’s words): The plan is to go for her Berlin heart pump on Wednesday and get off of ECMO. The procedure will take several hours to get her mechanical mitral valve out and the Berlin placed and set up.

Between now and then we really need her lungs in better position. The Berlin will be pumping for her heart but her lungs need to be ready to only be supported by the vent and right now they are not.

Always praying for the perfect heart in Gods perfect time. And specially we need fluid off of her lungs and have them ready to work on their own without ECMO.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭

UPDATE 5/23/24 (copied from Taylor): Mercy has had a stable few days. They’ve been able to get some fluid off and she looks more comfortable.

Immediately after she crashed the doctors said she probably wouldn’t be able to accept a heart right then because she was too sick but on Tuesday they said they would accept one again if one became available. pray pray pray for her perfect heart in the perfect time.

The plan right now is to get her hooked up to a Berlin heart pump next week which is a pretty serious surgery and will require them to take out her mechanical mitral valve that they placed back in October. But once she’s on this it will really help her while she waits for her heart.

Please help us pray God will move mountains for this girl. We’ve already seen Him do it before and I know He can do it again.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭

UPDATE 4/5/24 Mercy is officially listed for a heart transplant.

UPDATE 2/2/24: Today is Mercy’s 1st birthday! Let’s help Mercy and her family know how very loved they are!

UPDATE 12/11/24: Mercy went into respiratory failure last night after trying to wean her milrinone. She is intubated again. We got her on a regular vent this afternoon. pray. pray. pray. ❤️‍

”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.“

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭ 4–This update is from Taylor’s FB.

UPDATE: Mercy is scheduled for a heart cath around 11:30 today, 11/24. Please keep her, Taylor, Colby, Zoe, and the doctors and team in your prayers and pray for answers, a plan to move forward, and no setbacks.

Mercy has a spirit that fills every space she enters with gentleness, peace, and joy. She smiles and engages and blesses people in her presence with a feeling of shared wonder. Since she was born she has been wide-eyed and fully present, exuding a sense of gratitude and oneness of spirit—of course it makes sense that a baby like Mercy would be born to her parents, Taylor and Colby Benfield, and her sister, Zoe, because they are some of the kindest and most steadfast people to grace the earth.

After several months of cardiologist appointments, 7-month-old Mercy had a heart catheter put in at Levine Children’s Hospital earlier this month. Upon returning home, Mercy stopped eating enough, her breathing became labored, and her heart began working overtime—BNP (measure of heart function) of 272 when below 100 is normal. Surgery may be done in the very near future or in a bit of time if tests determine that she can wait a bit. The surgery will most likely be done in Boston or at Duke, Donations will be used to help with travel and medical expenses and missed work. Mercy’s parents both work on the campus of Crossnore Community for Children, Taylor as the middle school math teacher at Williams Academy and Colby in maintenance of the campus. Both of them dedicate themselves fully to serving others and creating a loving family. Please help this precious family and help Mercy get the care she needs.