Patient Stories 
When Claire Mahaffey was born 14 weeks premature in 2008, her family knew that she had a long road ahead of her. What they quickly learned however, was that their tiny girl had the heart of a champion.
Over the next 74 days, Claire spent most of her time in Rapid City Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in a temperature-controlled isolette, while physicians and caregivers monitored her breathing. As her parents, Julie and Rob, balanced caring for their three other children in Custer and being with Claire, the tiny infant kept her caregivers on their toes.
“One time we walked in and the bagger was sitting on top of her isolette, and when we asked about it her nurse said, ‘yeah, the little turkey gave me a little bit of a scare,’” Julie said. “Claire had quit breathing and the nurse had to manually get her going again. These caregivers were incredible.”
At the center of Claire’s care was now-retired Neonatologist Steven Benn, M.D. Beyond his medical care for his young patient, he both supported and comforted Rob and Julie. Over the course of her 74-day stay in the NICU, he made sure she was strong enough to leave and join her family.
Dr. Benn’s care extended beyond Claire leaving the NICU. A few weeks after her discharge from the hospital, Claire stopped breathing after aspirating on milk. Although Rob and Julie were able to get her breathing again, she came back to Monument Health in an ambulance. “We were worried, of course,” said Rob. “But Dr. Benn came in with a bit of a friendly laugh and said, ‘they always come back at least once.’”
Later that year, the family moved east across the state to be closer to family, and Dr. Benn coordinated with their pediatrician in Mitchell, made sure every detail was transferred and reassured the Mahaffeys that their daughter was ready to make the move.
Monument Health’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) program played a significant role in Claire’s recovery and in supporting the Mahaffey family along the way. “I didn’t realize just how much of the NICU equipment was funded by CMN through donations and grants,” Julie shared. The other thing that CMN provides is money to help with transportation. “We had to drive from Custer every day, and I couldn’t help but think how awesome it was that they do all this.”
Back In the Black Hills
Nearly a decade after living in Kansas and Colorado, the family returned to South Dakota. By then, Claire was ten, and on a whim, Julie reached out to Dr. Benn.
“He came to see us, and it was like time hadn’t passed,” Julie said. “He’d been such a huge part of our life in the beginning. But we never imagined we’d still be in each other’s lives.” What started as an emotional reunion grew into a genuine friendship. “During the pandemic, we were on the water nearly every day. He’s a great doctor, but he can’t fly fish worth a darn,” joked Rob.
“He’s just part of us now,” Julie said. “More than family, because we chose each other.”
As Claire grew up into a strong young woman, the same doctor who once carried her out of the NICU looks up to her now — literally. “There’s a picture of him carrying her out when she was five,” Julie says. “Now she’s almost 18 and taller than him. It’s full circle in the most beautiful way.”
How Sweet It Is
Now a young woman, Claire is grateful for her good health and is proud to be Monument Health’s 2026 CMN Champion. Although she doesn’t remember her early struggles, she knows how valuable sharing her family’s experience can be to help raise awareness and support for CMN locally, and she’s looking forward to helping. She said, “CMN is a part of who we are and my whole family is pretty grateful to them. I’m glad I can help people learn more about what CMN does and why it’s so important.”
It isn’t just Claire that’s committed to giving back; the entire Mahaffey family have become fierce advocates for the program, and as local business owners, they’ve found a deliciously sweet way to do it.
When the Mahaffeys returned to the Black Hills, they opened Mary’s Mountain Cookies in downtown Rapid City. Now, renamed the Cookie Shop, the business carries on a fundraising tradition that the family started long ago. One month out of the year, 25 percent of sales from cookies made with a chocolate chip cookie base — classic chocolate chip, chocolate chip and M&M and s’mores cookies — will be donated to CMN. Like all funds given to CMN, this money will stay local and help children in medical need right here in the Black Hills.
“We also have a lot of people that do cash donations. They’ll just, you know, write a letter and have a check in there for our CMN fundraiser,” Julie said. “The community has been incredible.”
The result is not only a successful fundraiser — which donates a significant amount to support hospital equipment and patient care — but also the creation of a strong, positive community engagement, with a focus on helping families get the crucial support that they need.
“It’s incredibly important to us, as both a family and as business owners, to give back to Children’s Miracle Network and Monument Health,” explained Rob. “To help ensure they’ve got the tools and equipment they need to help sick babies in the future, so that other kids like Claire get what they need to do as well as she has.”
“To me, it’s about hope,” Claire added. “I want families with kids who need CMN to know it’s not all doom and gloom in the NICU. There’s always hope.”
