‘We don’t want to forget him’: Moms host fundraiser in honor of baby son who passed away

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The heartbreaking story of two parents, working to help others after losing their baby boy following a long health battle. This weekend, they hope you join them on their mission to support other families going through similar challenges.

The fundraiser is a celebration of Sonny’s life, he passed away in December of last year when he was just around 15 months old. “We don’t want to forget him, we don’t want others to forget him,” said Carey Born, Sonny’s Mom “He’s unforgettable,” added Jen Born, Sonny’s mother.

Sonny’s moms, Carey and Jen, say they found out Sonny had Down Syndrome when Jen was 13 weeks pregnant, and even though it threw them for a loop, they believed that was meant to be their story. “The second we met him — he’s impossible not to fall in love with,” said Jen.

Sonny had heart surgery when he was around six months old. His moms thought that would be the hardest medical procedure he’d have to go through before he had in-patient care for respiratory issues. They spent 100 days in the hospital.

“Money is time and we just needed time with our son and to be there for him. Because he was so sick and it really allowed us to step back and be there with him,” said Jen. The Borns say, there were tough times during their extended hospital stay.

“The fear, the constant panic and fear of seeing your child sick and not knowing if they’ll get better,” said Jen. Carey added, “I think having our hearts divided into two places was one of the toughest things about it. By the end of the summer, we were just going back and forth and we were just taking turns and it was so heart-wrenching to divide our heart like that.”

Sonny’s moms say they want to raise funds to support other families the way they felt supported. They tell me friends and the community stepped up to help organize the fundraiser. “Our hope is that we will be able to support families who have medically fragile kids, who have long hospital stays,” said Carey.

The Sonny Side Up fundraiser is tomorrow from 1 PM to 4 PM in East Rochester at the Saint Nicholas Society. There will be raffle baskets, a silent auction, acoustic music playing, face painting, a photo booth, yoga, and a bunch more fun.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.