Town lights up ‘Blue for Benny’ after 2-year-old dies suddenly

In Pennsylvania, a community has come together to support a family going through a very sad time. Their two-year-old boy, Benny, passed away suddenly.

The people living in Delco, Broomall, have turned their lights blue to remember Benny. This is called “Blue for Benny.” Even a big stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, will light up in blue to show they care.

Benny’s dad, Eric, shared how much he misses his son. He said, “We don’t want any of this. I just want my buddy back.”

Benny got sick with a fever one day, and by the next morning, he wasn’t breathing anymore.

His parents, Eric and Natalie, were very scared and called for help, but sadly, Benny couldn’t be saved. The doctors are still trying to find out why this happened, but they think it might have been a virus. Benny was a happy and healthy boy who loved dancing in the shower with his dad the night before he got sick.

Benny has a brother, Ari, who is five years old. Ari tries to make his mom feel better by telling her it’s going to be OK. Natalie wants to be strong for Ari.

The whole community, including family, friends, and businesses, are showing their love for Benny by lighting up their homes and places in blue. They also started a fund to help Benny’s family, and so far, they’ve raised a lot of money.

A family friend, Nicole, said the community wants the Petranskys to know they’re not alone in their sadness.

To remember Benny, his parents got matching tattoos. Even though they don’t know what the future holds, they know they’ll always remember their son.