At 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Kenzie Lewellen went into labor at her home in Port Charlotte, Florida. Hurricane Milton was rapidly approaching the Gulf Coast, and both Kenzie and her boyfriend, Dewey Bennett, were feeling anxious.
“My mind was racing with questions,” Kenzie, 22, said. “I was very nervous.” Dewey, 24, echoed her feelings, admitting, “I was very stressed.” He recalled how Hurricane Irma had affected his family in 2017, when his father, also named Dewey, suffered a heart attack because emergency services could not reach them during the storm.
Now, with a baby on the way, Dewey was reminded of that traumatic experience. As Hurricane Milton made landfall at 8:30 p.m. ET, causing extensive flooding and power outages, the couple faced their own urgent situation. Before Kenzie’s contractions began, water was already entering their home.
As a first-time mom at 39 weeks pregnant, Kenzie and Dewey knew they needed to leave for the hospital before the storm worsened. “If I didn’t start having contractions until the storm hit, the roads would be flooded, and getting to the hospital would be difficult,” Dewey explained.
They had considered evacuating to West Palm Beach on Florida’s east coast. “I’m glad we didn’t, because they had nine tornadoes before the storm made landfall,” Kenzie noted.
The day before, they had called the hospital to check if they could come in early. “But obviously, they don’t let people stay during a storm because they aren’t a shelter,” Kenzie said.
After 4½ hours of laboring at home, Kenzie and Dewey began their challenging journey to Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Venice. “My mom was driving us, and the wind was very strong,” Kenzie recalled. “There weren’t many people on the roads due to the weather.”
Upon arrival, only one person was allowed to accompany Kenzie into the hospital, so she had to say goodbye to her mother. “I was very upset that my mom couldn’t stay,” Kenzie said. “She’s my best friend and biggest supporter.” However, they managed to stay connected through FaceTime.
The distance from her mother added to Kenzie’s worries. “My mom and aunt can take care of themselves, but I was still very hopeful that everything would be okay for them,” she shared.
While Kenzie labored, she watched the hurricane’s destruction from her hospital room. Dewey stayed by her side. “I was telling him, ‘Oh, that tree looks like it’s going to fly out of the ground!’” Kenzie said. “It was definitely intense out there.” Dewey confirmed that the tree did uproot.
After hours of labor, Kenzie received concerning news: the baby was in the wrong position, and she would need a cesarean section. “I had so much going through my head—concerns about the storm and my family,” she said during a Zoom interview on Thursday. Issues with her epidural caused her extreme pain until she was given anesthesia. “I was scared and alone. Without the doctors and nurses, it would have been much worse,” she explained.
David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, praised his team in a statement. “We couldn’t be prouder of our staff. They left their homes and families to care for our patients and community.”
During Hurricane Milton, Kenzie and Dewey’s son was one of seven babies born at Sarasota Memorial hospitals. At 11:45 p.m. ET, Dewey Lester Bennett IV arrived, a healthy 8-pound boy.
Holding Dewey for the first time, Kenzie felt her world change. “It is the most indescribable feeling. He’s a part of you and part of the person you love.” Dewey, the father, said, “My cheeks hurt because I haven’t stopped smiling. It was great.”
For Dewey, holding his son held special significance. It was a poignant moment, given that he had lost his father under similar circumstances.
What will the couple tell their son about his unique birth story? “I’ll probably tease him for being so stubborn,” Kenzie joked, adding that some have suggested he should be nicknamed Milton. “He is a miracle baby,” she said, lifting him up as sunlight streamed through the hospital window.
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