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Our Kids - Meet Ben
Ben, 11, Cerebral palsy, autism and gastro-esophageal reflux disease
At 11 years old, Ben is already a great cook. During his most recent stay at SickKids, he planned a special lunch for staff in the Child Life department. He served Eggs Benedict, salad and a special, secret dessert. If he’s not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, Ben is often baking.
“I like to bake cookies and cakes,” says Ben. “I can make all sorts of things, but chocolate chip cookies are probably my favourite.”
Born two months premature, Ben was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. He has been to a number of different departments throughout the Hospital and has frequent appointments and brief stays as an inpatient. Through it all, Ben has remained upbeat and positive about his time at SickKids. He spends countless hours at Marnie’s Lounge, a special area of the Hospital for patients to play games and interact with each other outside of their rooms. He also likes Harry Potter and enjoys being on the computer so he can talk with his friends who live in Sudbury and New York City. But his favourite part of the Hospital is the clowns.
“The therapeutic clown program at SickKids is great,” says Ben. “They make me laugh and cheer me up when I need it.”
Looking forward to his 12th birthday in July, Ben continues to work hard with the staff at SickKids to treat his complicated conditions. He has recently joined the Children’s Council at the Hospital to meet other patients and help make SickKids a better place.
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