Hi Friends!
My name is Jillian Benfield. I’m a former TV News Anchor/Reporter turned author and mom of three living an unexpected life.
About Me
Hi, My name is Jillian Benfield and I am so glad you are here! A little about me and my family- we recently settled on the Space Coast of Florida after 8 years of active duty service. During my husband, Andy’s, time in the military, we lived in 5 different states due to his specialty training. It was during that time that we experienced the unexpected again and again–including a NICU stay for our second child and later an open heart surgery for him. Then, a miscarriage. And then a rare diagnosis of posterior urethral valves for our third child which required fetal intervention surgery, a NICU Stay, a Ronald McDonald House stay and a tumultuous first year or so of life.
But by far, the biggest unexpected moment came when Andy and I were 27 years old and expecting our second child, Anderson. We found out he would be born with Down syndrome. Originally, devastated, we later, through months and years of learning and unlearning, realized our grief was largely tied to our ignorance and unknowing ableism. Still, we live a bit of the unexpected life each and every day. It is not easy raising a child with a disability in an inaccessible world. It is the most difficult and also the most beautiful experience of my life. It’s a life I wouldn’t trade. The unexpected gave me, heartache, yes. The unexpected also gave me my son. The unexpected gave me, me.
Fast facts:
- I’m a prior TV journalist- I worked as a news anchor and reporter in Columbia, SC and Augusta, GA
- I love to cook and share easy weeknight and fancy (but not too difficult) weekend meals in my monthly newsletter
- I suffer from hanger. Seriously.
- My first time on TV was not as a journalist but in a local televised singing competition in Orlando, FL
- I’m the youngest of 4 kids
- I’m so grateful for our time in the military and all of the places we got to experience, I’m thankful for how it made us a stronger family unit, AND, I’m also really grateful to be living back in my home state and less than an hour from my parents!
- To that last point, I’m really into the word ‘and’. Get the book and read chapter 10 to see what I mean.
- I’ve been writing on the internet since 2014. Consistently since 2019. I signed a book deal in 2021.
- I’m the daughter of a dentist and married an orthodontist
- It’s really hard for me not to include a paragraph about my husband in here. Just get the book and read the dedication!
- I’m a Partners in Policymaking graduate- if you are a parent of a child with a disability- I highly recommend it!
- I’m an inclusion advocate and am passionate about school inclusion specifically
- I love the outdoors but I’m not outdoorsy. If you know, you know. But you can find me at the beach weekly!
Connect With Jillian
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The Gift of the Unexpected
What if the unexpected is the beginning of becoming your truest self?
Jillian Benfield was living life in the spotlight as a TV journalist, but after receiving a life-altering diagnosis for her unborn son, she realized no camera-ready outfit could dress up her grief. Overcoming this unexpected circumstance wasn’t an option. She would have to undergo it instead. In doing so, she discovered who she was and who God wanted her to become.
In this riveting story filled with grit and grace, Jillian helps you break down the false constructs you’ve built around God and your identity. You won’t avoid your pain, but you’ll learn to feel it, in a healing way. And you’ll discover how your internal transformation leads to external purpose.
No matter what you’re going through, you’re invited to open this gift: The Gift of the Unexpected
