On the night of August 28th, just before midnight, our world broke apart.

We lost our son, Joey Bennett—a young man whose spirit was pure light, whose laughter could cut through the darkest storm, and whose heart was already beating for the child he would never get to hold.

Joey wasn’t ordinary. He was a soundtrack in motion. He loved music with every fiber of his being—collecting vinyl records, strumming his guitar, rapping with friends, recording songs that carried pieces of his soul. His hands were never still: fixing cars, digging into anything vintage that told a story, turning old into new with the kind of reverence only he had. And oh, he was goofy. Silly faces, wild jokes, and that laugh—the one that made you feel like the world wasn’t such a heavy place after all.

Most of all, Joey dreamed of being a father. He said it often: he would be the dad who showed up to everything. The dad who held his baby close while records spun softly in the background. The dad who taught them how to laugh loud, sing louder, and chase joy like it was oxygen. His excitement was unstoppable. He couldn’t wait for late-night bottles, little fingers gripping his own, or singing lullabies in a cracked, sweet voice.

Now, that dream has been stolen.

But his legacy—the most important one—is still on its way. In just 79 days, Joey’s baby will be born. A living echo of his love. A light that must be carried forward.

He leaves behind his girlfriend, Irie, who now bears both the miracle of their child and the unbearable weight of going forward without him. She is determined to raise their baby with the safety, stability, and love Joey would have poured out endlessly. But she cannot do this alone.

This fundraiser is not just about money. It is about keeping Joey’s music alive. Every contribution is a note in the lullaby he will never sing. It will help Irie build a stable home, pay for a reliable car, cover bills, and prepare for the baby’s arrival with baby clothes, bassinets, diapers and all of the daily expenses that come with raising a baby in this world. Every gift ensures that when Joey’s child opens their eyes to this world, they are surrounded not by scarcity, but by love—a love strong enough to echo what Joey would have given them himself.

If you knew Joey, you know he was the kind of person who would give you the last dollar in his pocket and then make you laugh while he did it. Now, we have the chance to give that back to him, to stand in for him and to protect the child he won’t be here to hold.

If you cannot give, please share Joey’s story. Let his name ring out, let his baby grow up in a world that never lets his song fade.

From the bottom of our broken hearts,

Tina, Shawn, and Family