Hi everyone! It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 4 months since Benjamin was discharged from the hospital following his heart transplant in June. It’s been a journey filled with ups and downs, but through it all, our little warrior continues to amaze us with his resilience.

Life post-transplant has been a whirlwind as we’ve adjusted to our new “normal.” Between medications, therapies, and regular trips to Gainesville for appointments and follow-ups, our days are certainly full. Navigating this new chapter has been challenging, but we’re happy to share that Benjamin is making steady progress toward hitting his milestones—especially considering that for the first six months of his life, he was on “pause.”

Despite everything, Benjamin is the happiest little guy. His sweet smiles and little laughs light up every room, and he’s fully engaged in all his therapies. He’s also become quite the talker, with “Da Da” being his favorite word—much to Andrés’ delight!

One of our biggest challenges has been navigating life with an immunocompromised baby, especially during cold and flu season. For those who may not know, transplant recipients must take medications to prevent rejection, which suppress the immune system. This makes even common illnesses more serious. Since September, we’ve been admitted to the hospital five times for a range of issues—from a simple cold to more serious infections. We even had one dramatic morning where Benjamin surprised us all with a full-blown anaphylactic reaction to penicillin, adding a newfound allergy to his list. (We’re pretty sure he just wanted an excuse to visit his old friends in the pediatric cardiac ICU!)

Despite these challenges, we’re incredibly grateful that Benjamin’s heart and heart function remain excellent. Even during hospital stays, he charms the pediatric nursing staff with his sweet personality—thankfully we’re now more familiar with the general pediatrics floor than the ICU.

We’re so thankful for the love and support from all of you this past year. Your prayers, kind words, and encouragement mean the world to us. We ask for your continued prayers for Benjamin’s health, recovery, and protection from illness. Please also keep our family in your thoughts as we navigate the logistics of being apart between cities, balancing work, life, and keeping everything as stable as possible for Sophie. We are anxiously awaiting for our new home in Orlando to be finished, so we can start to get more settled.

Thank you for walking this journey with us—we’re so grateful for our village.

With love,

The Sanchez Family

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