AROUND TOWN
he did, reaching 6ft 6 – his parents had to learn to develop thicker skin. For autistic people, the world around them can be overwhelming, with simple situations or change to routine causing anxiety. As children, they can often be seen as naughty or challenging to outsiders. But as adults who don’t look ‘disabled’, they can be misunderstood.
Although a gentle giant, Ben’s mum made t-shirts with his favourite characters and slogans on
As Cinderella once sang: ‘No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.’a
to let people know his condition– a Shrek ‘I’m not an ogre, I’m autistic’ was one of his favourites. Family holidays were always to Florida as Ben loved Disney World. “We went nine times but always to a villa with a pool as busy hotels were too uncertain for Ben. He loved it underwater and sat for minutes at the bottom to drown out the different noises he found difficult to process.
“One day he came in and said ‘no more Florida, Canada, build a snowman.’ It must have been for Frozen,” she says.
Sadly, Ben never got to play in the Canadian snow. He passed away suddenly on February 23rd aged 27. Ben also had epilepsy since 12 which put him at a higher risk of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.
“He didn’t understand what was happening to him during uncontrollable seizures and became very weary of them.” While nothing can take away the pain of losing a child, Mel and Chris have been campaigning to
Ben and his Dad in Disney Land
we’ve received has been remarkable, it’s kept us going. The morning of Ben’s funeral, the balloons on the Up house collection box had gone down but Adele’s Occasions in Mexborough came and refilled them for free,” Mel says. A local Sunday league footballer for nearly 40 years, Chris hung up his boots two years ago age 51. After hearing the family’s story, his ex-team mates are organising a charity match in aid of their appeal on Sunday 21st May at Sheffield
raise awareness of autism while also fundraising for Robert Ogden School to leave a lasting legacy for Ben and make a difference to other autistic children’s lives. Not government funded, running the school relies purely on donation, with SEN places funded by local authorities.
A charity night in April raised £1,700 on the night and with church donations, their total is currently around £2,500.
“The support and generosity
again to raise money in Ben’s memory.
Ben in Disney Land
Hallam Sports Park, Brinsworth. “We only ever got Ben on a pitch once and that was at Millmoor. Every time we passed he’d point and say ‘there’ so we asked the groundsman if he could come in as we weren’t sure what he wanted. He ran on the newly-laid pitch and jumped up and down, his face lit up,” Chris says.
Based on the match in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, there’ll be no rhinos, elephants and hopefully no cheaters, with heaps of players wanting to be involved, including Chris’ uncle Ray who’s 76. Both teams will be hoping for support on the day, with Ben’s niece and nephew Lily and Jensen putting on their best Disney outfits to cheer on Grandad and his team mates.
Chris McEwan, one of the organisers said: “Chris always played football with a smile and his extremely likeable and friendly nature made him a popular figure. He was the oldest but fittest amongst us, and we’re looking forward to all lacing up our boots
D KR O
All money raised donated to
Robert Ogden School, Thurnscoe
aroundtownmagazine.co.uk 39
“The backing and support has been phenomenal and I’d like to thank The Manor Barn in Kimberworth for sponsoring the match and Aroundtown Magazine for their brilliant promotion. It means we can raise even more money for The Robert Ogden School. The cherry on the cake would be for as many people as possible on the side-line cheering us on.”
With a celebration of Ben’s life back at the Manor Barn afterwards, the team are now looking for raffle prizes and donations to boost the pot of money even further. John Green, Business and Finance Manager at the school said: “We were all saddened to hear of Ben’s untimely death and gave our heartfelt condolences to his family. We hope that the football match is well supported and would like to thank everyone involved in the fundraising. Every penny raised will be put to good use by the school for improving the lives of children who like Ben have autism.”
As Cinderella once sang: ‘No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.’
To donate, visit Melanie’s Just Giving Page:
www.justgiving.com/
crowdfunding/melanie-heap-1
and M CI Dirty Yellows v True Blues Sunday 21st May from 11am
Sheffield Hallam Sports Park, Bawtry Road, Tinsley, S9 1UA
Wear your best Disney t-shirt or outfit and support both teams
Celebration and raffle at the Manor Barn Kimberworth afterwards
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Ben and his Dad
Barack Obama & Ben
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