Drawing on the support, understanding, and advocacy I have received throughout my medical journey, I hope to create a place where families navigating chronic childhood medical conditions can find connection, encouragement, and practical support. More than simply sharing my story, my goal is to build a community where experiences are shared, relationships are formed, and families feel understood and less alone.
— Benjamin Momber
"I have learned to meet challenges with adaptability and perseverance rather than letting them define my limits."
Living with a chronic childhood medical condition has taught me the power of grit, empathy, and community. Born with Tetralogy of Fallot, I underwent my first open-heart surgery at four months old, a second at eight years old, and a third at seventeen, along with several related procedures in between.
Determined to defy those who might view my heart condition as a setback, I have learned to meet challenges with adaptability and perseverance rather than letting them define my limits. To strengthen myself physically, I have climbed Colorado mountains, rappelled down Utah cliffs, and competed in both varsity basketball and tennis. Equally important, my experiences have strengthened my empathy and commitment to community — whether serving as my class’s president, participating in theater, or volunteering my time. Navigating diverse schools and cultures as a member of a military family with a congenital heart condition has also taught me how to thrive in new and challenging environments.
My journey has included surgeries, uncertainty, and challenges, but it has also been filled with extraordinary opportunities, meaningful relationships, and unwavering support. Along the way, my family and I have benefited from the compassion of healthcare providers, programs dedicated to helping families facing medical challenges, military communities, teachers, extended family, and countless others. That support has taken many forms — from Children’s Hospital Colorado, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program to my school community and the many individuals who helped shape my journey. Together, they demonstrate the power of community and reinforce the importance of ensuring that no family faces difficult circumstances on their own.
The support I received helped shape who I am today, and I hope to honor that gift by helping others navigate their own journeys with courage, hope, and confidence.
Keeping Southern Colorado families close to their children during medical treatment — at little or no cost.
Supporting Air Force Academy families with special medical or educational needs.
Bringing world-class pediatric heart care to Colorado Springs families closer to home.
Free resources for parents and providers on trauma-informed care for children facing illness and injury, including patient education materials, screening tools, and online courses.
Children's Hospital Colorado's Heart Institute provides care for congenital and acquired heart conditions, from before birth through adulthood, offering around-the-clock cardiac units, surgical and transplant services, and specialized clinics with publicly reported outcomes.
The Heart Institute offers a full range of pediatric cardiology programs for simple to complex heart conditions, with a multidisciplinary team covering cardiac surgery, catheterization, electrophysiology, heart transplant, and specialized clinics all in one place.
The Heart Institute Wellness Program helps children with heart disease and their families cope emotionally and psychologically with their diagnosis, offering mental health care, social work, child life, and music therapy during hospital stays and at home.
The Family Resource Center gives parents and guardians a private, home-like place to rest during a child's hospital stay, with a kitchen, laundry, shower room, free respite rooms, and family support services.
Newsletters and social media that feature or reference Hearty Kids.
Hearty Kids is featured as a Community Resource on page 7 of the Q3 2026 newsletter from the U.S. Air Force Academy Exceptional Family Member Program.
Hearty Kids founder Ben Momber is featured in a video from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado on Facebook.
Watch on Facebook ↗The Q4 2026 edition of the Air Force Academy’s Exceptional Family Member Program newsletter spotlights Hearty Kids as a featured Community Resource on page 8.
Whether you have a question, want a one-on-one conversation, or are ready to share your story — Hearty Kids is here to listen.
Questions about heart surgery, TOF, or our community? We'll point you in the right direction.
Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who gets it. Schedule a personal call.
RMHC of Southern Colorado — Community Open House
Hearty Kids is proud to be part of the Heart of the Summer Community Open House hosted by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado. Join us for a morning of community, connection, and support for families navigating childhood medical conditions.
U.S. Air Force Academy • July – September 2026 • Scroll to page 7 for Community Resources
U.S. Air Force Academy • October – December 2026 • Scroll to page 8 for Community Resources
