Baby Iver Benson is home from a Victoria, B.C. hospital, three months after doctors kept his mom on life support long enough to deliver him by C-section.
"It's been a very long journey, and the days are still very tough (especially Mother's Day yesterday), but having him home with me is wonderful," dad Dylan Benson wrote on his Facebook page earlier this week.
"The best part is definitely all the cuddles," Benson, 32, told The Huffington Post B.C. in an email Wednesday.
The proud father reports that Iver was eight pounds, six ounces and 21 inches long when the left the hospital.
"He's sleeping 4-5 hours at a time and he's adjusting to home life very well," wrote Benson. "I'm so proud of my little guy for being so strong, and now we're ready to start a new 'normal.'"
Benson's wife Robyn was five months pregnant when she suffered a brain hemorrhage on Dec. 28, 2013 that left her brain-dead. Iver was delivered on Feb. 8, and Robyn was taken off life support the next day.
The Bensons' heartbreaking journey was shared through social media and Dylan's personal blog posts and attracted international attention. An online fundraiser set up to help Benson with bills and Iver's education had a goal of $36,000, but it surpassed $200,000.
On paternity leave from his tech job, Dylan is thankful for all the support from friends and strangers, reported CBC News.
Iver, who was born premature at two pounds, 13 ounces, spent three months in the neo-natal unit at the Victoria General Hospital. Dad visited every day and watched him grow stronger, reported the Times Colonist.
"He has my nose. But I think he has Robyn's lips and it's always nice looking at his little red hairs, it makes me happy," he told CBC.
Iver is sleeping in a bassinet next to dad for now, before the baby moves to his own room, said the Times Colonist. It was decorated by Robyn's friends and family in grey, white, and yellow.
Baby Iver Benson
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