Chris Hilderbrandt, CNM, Director of Breath of Life

We at Breath of Life are so blessed to be part of miracles every day. While we truly love the families and the babies, there are other miracles that we are honored to witness and be a part of. Our “new” Midwife, Vikki Bennett, is a product of a series of miracles. There is no room to tell all the details here, but suffice it to say that we are SO blessed to have this amazing woman of God on our staff! While she is young (hooray!), she brings a maturity of character and abilities far beyond her years and experience. We all love her, as do our clients, and I am sure you will, too, after reading her story. Come, meet Vikki!

As I sought God regarding ‘Where to from here’ while finishing my midwifery education, He laid on my heart several convictions regarding how He desired and designed me to practice as a CNM [Certified Nurse Midwife] - convictions that seemingly would dissuade any practice from hiring me because of my foundation in Christ and my desire to esteem life.

Through a series of miraculous events that were quite obviously ordained by Him, the Lord opened the door for me to join the Breath of Life team in March. Moving here to join the ministry likewise allowed me to join a church plant sent lovingly to south St. Petersburg by the campus church at the University of Florida through whose influence I had come to know Christ. Never did I dream that God would pull circumstances together to facilitate my being able to combine my passion, my profession, and my ministry in such a seamless way! It is an incredible blessing, as a CNM, to freely pray with and for our clients, to share the Gospel with them through actions and words, to practice midwifery in a way that aligns with my convictions, to have an amazing partner and mentor, and to be part of an all-star team!

God is working through Breath of Life and stretching all of us this summer as we’re busily caring for a record number of clients and catching record numbers of babies (including 22 babies born in July), tirelessly loving on those often considered unlovely, and truly seeking to introduce those who do not know Christ to Him while encouraging those who do know Christ to grow in intimacy with Him. The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few at Breath of Life, but we’re reaping some amazing fruit and are trusting God for even more...how honored I am to have been invited to join such an incredible team!!