A $1 million gift from Michael and Shirley Benson will help shape the future of care for women, children and families in Southwest Florida. Among the first to step forward following the announcement of NCH’s Women’s & Children’s initiative in January, the Bensons are helping build early momentum for the future Van Domelen Pavilion for Women & Children.
Six Grandchildren and a Growing Community
When Shirley Benson visits her children and grandchildren in Naples, she sees signs of a changing community everywhere she looks.
“I walk down the street pushing a baby in a buggy, and there are kids everywhere,” she said. “They’re playing in the streets and talking in the driveways. I look around and think, ‘Who is going to take care of all these children and families?’”
For Shirley and her husband, Michael, the question begins with their own family. Their children followed them to Naples, and all six of their grandchildren were born at the NCH BirthPlace. That shared connection reflects a broader shift across Southwest Florida, as more young families put down roots and the need for specialized services grows.
“We live here,” Michael said. “We want the best care here, and we want it to be the best care for everybody in this community.”
With their family’s experiences and the region’s future in mind, Michael and Shirley made a $1 million gift to NCH’s Women’s & Children’s initiative.
Care That Couldn’t Wait
The need became urgent when one of the Bensons’ grandsons developed respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, at just three weeks old. His family rushed him to the hospital, where he remained for 10 days.
“Thank God we did,” Shirley said. “That was a scary time for all of us.”
Their grandson is healthy today, but the experience gave the Bensons a lasting understanding of how quickly a family can need specialized care.
Shirley has also seen the burden placed on women who must travel between providers or leave the community for treatment. She envisions a more connected approach, where women can access coordinated expertise throughout their lives and where mothers, babies and children can receive advanced services in one place.
“Having everything in one place alleviates a lot of stress in a person’s life,” she said. That relief extends to the entire family.
Their decision began with a shared commitment to give. When Michael asked Shirley where their gift could make the greatest difference, she chose women and children.
“I have daughters and daughters-in-law here. I have all my family here,” Shirley said. “This community needs to have the best care.”
“Think Bigger”
The Bensons’ gift will support NCH’s plans to expand coordinated, specialized services through the Van Domelen Institute for Women & Children and the future Van Domelen Pavilion for Women & Children.
The initiative will help bring services together around patients and families, expand access to specialized pediatric care through NCH’s partnership with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, recruit additional specialists, increase capacity and create spaces designed specifically for women and children. It is an opportunity to strengthen care available today while ensuring NCH is prepared to meet the needs of a growing community for generations to come.
After touring The BirthPlace and neonatal intensive care unit at NCH North Naples Hospital, Michael and Shirley left encouraged by the care they witnessed and even more certain about the need to prepare for the future.
“Think bigger,” Shirley said. “You’re going to need more.” Her words reflect the scale of the opportunity ahead: to expand services, bring additional specialists to the region and create an environment centered on women, children and their families.
For Michael, the vision is also about what families will feel when they enter the future Pavilion. “I hope they see a facility they can believe in,” he said. “I want them to know that they’re safe, they’re cared for and this is a place where they come to get well.”
The Legacy Is That Others Follow
The Bensons’ relationship with NCH began through their own experiences in the emergency department. At the time, they regularly passed construction underway to expand emergency services. Michael remembers thinking that they could not simply depend on that care without helping strengthen it.
From their first gift to NCH, their involvement has deepened, guided by a longstanding belief in philanthropy’s ability to strengthen healthcare and expand what is possible.
Michael and Shirley make their giving decisions together, guided by a shared conviction that healthcare should be a philanthropic priority because it touches every person and every family.
“We don’t do it for our names on buildings or for plaques,” Michael said. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
They consider the need, ask questions and place their trust in strong leadership. Their confidence in NCH led them to step forward and, they hope, inspire others to do the same.
“If you’ve been blessed with resources, you should share those resources,” Michael said. “It is a responsibility we have to society.”
Shirley emphasizes that meaningful participation is not defined by the size of a gift. “Give what you can,” she said. “No matter what you donate, it makes a positive impact.”
When asked how they hope to be remembered, Michael and Shirley do not speak about recognition. Their answer reflects the philosophy behind their giving.
“The legacy for us,” Michael said, “is that others follow.”