During a visit to the Cary’s home in Dayton, 3-year-old Bennett abruptly stops his playtime to make some proper introductions.  

“Hi, I’m Bennett, and this is my baby brother, Bear,” he said, gesturing to his brother. 

He then pointed to his abdomen.  

“And this is Todd.”  

Todd is the name Bennett gave his new liver, which he received in October after a hard-fought battle with hepatoblastoma — a form of liver cancer most common in children younger than 3 years old, according to the National Cancer Institute.  

Bennett also named his port-a-cath as Ted, which now lives in a plastic bag in their kitchen drawer. It’s one of the only physical relics left of six months spent doing everything possible to save Bennett’s life at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  

Bennett’s parents, Natalia and Ben Cary, said Wings Regional Cancer Support in Kalispell covered the transportation costs associated with flying to and from Minnesota. Wings has helped residents of Northwest Montana pay for the out-of-pocket costs associated with cancer treatment since 1997.  

While Bennett, his mother and siblings were able to stay in nearby Eau Claire, Wisconsin with Natalia’s parents, Ben continued to return home for work during his son’s treatment. 

"The money (from Wings) helped us continue to do what we needed to do, as far as what was mission critical,” Ben said. “We're incredibly grateful and indebted to the community that donates to that fund ... You can see how intense this whole journey was,." 

Ben and Natalia remember the exact day their lives changed. It was June 21, 2025 and Natalia was getting concerned about Bennett’s growing fever.  

“He had a fever for two days, which was unlike him. He was like the epitome of great health for a 3-year-old ... He just had a little bump (near his ribcage) and I thought maybe it was a hernia. But with the fever, I was like, ‘I'll just take him in,’” Natalia said.  

She took Bennett to St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson, but it was a weekend, and their imaging staff was not there. They asked her to return on Monday, but there was a gnawing feeling that something was not right.  

“I said ‘I’m going to drive to Missoula ... And it all went downhill from there. When I got the diagnosis, I was in so much shock that I had a seizure,” Natalia said.  

The staff at the hospital in Missoula told Natalia that Bennett’s liver was covered in tumors and that he would need to be sent to an out-of-state hospital as soon as possible for tests and treatment. Natalia was just three months postpartum, at the hospital with Bennett and her newborn son Beau.  

Ben was in route to Missoula, driven by his boss at Silver Creek Construction, when he got a call from the hospital.  

“They said, ‘We're sorry to tell you, sir, but your wife has had a seizure and she's been convulsing, and we're going to have to admit her. And we're kind of taking care of your  newborn right now, so how quick are you going to get here?’” Ben recalled. “We just hit the gas ... And when I got to Missoula I jumped on a medical flight with Bennett, and we flew straight to Mayo.”  

Once they got to the Mayo Clinic, Bennett’s biopsy results revealed his full diagnosis: non-metastatic hepatoblastoma, Pretext 4 — meaning all four sections of his liver had tumors. Early on, his oncologist told them a liver transplant would most likely be necessary.  

“We really didn’t want him to have to be on chemo for a long time. And you don't know if the cancer is going to come back if the chemo makes it go away. We had accepted early on that Bennett could be receiving a new liver,” Natalia said.  

Starting that process early helped their case, but Bennett still needed to have 12 weeks of chemotherapy, with two different medications taken once a week.  

After those 12 weeks, doctors would perform another scan. If the tumor had shrunk enough, surgery was the next step. If not, he would undergo another round of chemo followed by a liver transplant, according to an update posted to Bennett’s CaringBridge page.  

Not only did Bennett’s new liver have to be a blood match, it had to come from a child of around the same age. There was not an option to graft parts of another liver onto his because of how many tumors he had — the only way it would work was if he received a completely new organ.  

“It's very extensive. And the sad thing is with kids that have had hepatoblastoma, if it spreads and metastasizes, they can't get a transplant. So that was probably the scariest part,” Natalia said.  

There was also an issue with his health insurance coverage when he arrived at the Mayo Clinic. Ben said they learned the state’s Healthy Montana Kid’s Program couldn’t be used in a state as far away as Minnesota, so they were asked to seek another insurance policy for Bennett.  

Ben was able to get a favorable policy for Bennett through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. The parents said their caseworker at the insurance company helped them through many hurdles, quickly giving approval for time-sensitive procedures.  

Bennett didn’t always respond well to chemotherapy, with Natalia calling him a “day-by-day kid,” not sure how he would feel on any given day during his treatment.  

The family spent endless nights in his room. Natalia said they got through it by playing with lots of Legos and taking Bennett on walks to the hospital’s chapel. 

The Mayo Clinic’s chapel is grand, with tall, curved ceilings and ornate stonework. Natalia said it felt like a place of calmness for Bennett.  

It was another reminder that God was with their family — she and Ben said they survived by taking a deep dive into their spiritual relationship. 

Back home in Montana, Ben was searching for ways to get financial help for their situation. Hitting a wall, he eventually heard about Wings. A friend had been a Wings recipient in the past and let him know that he should apply.  

“I didn't even send any receipts the first time, I just sent my name and with the application to see if we were going to be accepted,” Ben said.  

Wings went on to reimburse Ben for their airfare and other expenses that were necessary when living in-and-out of the hospital, like clothes and baby supplies for their two other young sons.  

It wasn’t the last showing of support they would see from their community.  

Tamarack Brewing Co. hosted a tap night with benefits going to the Mayo Clinic, Dayton Presbyterian Church donated money to the family and many others in the community gave as well through financial contributions and acts of kindness. 

“Shelby and Penny at the Flathead County Landfill, they gave me these wooden crosses. And she was like, ‘Whenever you're stressed out, you can just rub this,’” Ben said.  

Bennett received his new liver on Oct. 4. Natalia said she’d never seen him so happy, as the 3-year-old woke up instantly feeling better. There were still hurdles ahead — Bennett’s body showed initial signs of rejecting the liver — but he recovered, and the family was home attending their local church service by Christmas Eve.  

Now, Bennett runs crazy around the family’s living room, chasing his younger brother and playing with their dogs.  

It’s a sight Natalia and Ben will always be grateful for.  

“For all the moms and dads who think something could be wrong — had I listened to the first ER doctors, Bennett wouldn’t have made it through that weekend. You never imagine it will happen to you. But I know God has a good plan for him (Bennett.)” Natalia said.  

Bennett and his family may make an appearance during Wings’ annual radiothon, which takes place Jan. 15 and 16 at Sportsman and Ski Haus in Kalispell.  

The annual effort aims to help the group continue covering the out-of-pocket costs associated with cancer treatment. For more information, visit wingsnwmontana.org.  

Anyone interested in helping support the Cary family can find more information on Bennett’s GoFundMe page, at gofundme.com/f/our-brave-little-bennett.  

Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or [email protected].