Statistics tell us that one out of every three people will suffer from cancer at some point in their lifetime. Chances are, you or someone you know has had cancer and either beat it, continues to fight it, or has succumbed to it.
Since it is such a pervasive issue in our world and because it hits so close to home, people are happy to help in any way possible. Whether it is through donating money, shaving their head, or raising awareness through countless creative ways, cancer is an enemy everyone fights against.
Even though many times they cannot understand the gravity of the situation, children are frequently the most inspiring individuals to watch. Whether they are afflicted with cancer or leading the charge to raise awareness for their family, friends, or a distant stranger whose story they heard, their passion and tenacity is unmatched.
Benicio “Benny” Martinez is a seventh-grader from Park Ridge, Illinois who shaved his head at school in order to raise money for cancer research last year. Even at such a young age, he was eager to help the countless people he does not know who suffer from cancer.
A week later, Benny went on vacation in Orlando, Florida with his family. While there, he started having headaches and became nauseous.
They went to the emergency room where doctors did a CT scan of his head. A mere eleven days after shaving his head in the name of cancer awareness, Benny and his family were told he had a tumor in the back of his brain.
He was taken in for surgery immediately to remove the tumor and relieve the pressure in his skull. The surgery took seven hours to complete and they were able to remove the tumor but when he woke up, he could not swallow, walk, or talk.
This phenomenon is called Posterior Fossa Syndrome and, unfortunately, is not uncommon in children who have brain surgery. But this was not the end of their bad news.
“They must be joking,” he recalled thinking after his parents told him. “When I found out it was real, I got pretty scared.”
Yet, he refuses to focus on himself and would rather use this setback as a way of helping others. On April 1, they are holding a fundraiser to raise money to donate to St. Baldrick’s for childhood cancer research — their goal is $60,000. You can donate to St. Baldrick’s in Benny’s honor here.
“I want to do whatever I can to help kids going through the same thing that I am,” he says. “I know it’s hard, and I’d like to tell them not to give up any time soon. I’m not giving up. I want to walk again.”
Benny continues to fight and persevere despite his rigorous schedule of physical and speech therapy, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy. “Through it all, he’s stayed positive and touched many lives in spite of facing several setbacks,” says his dad, Ed. “It’s been difficult for him to lose his independence and rely on others to do things for him. But he’s making good progress, determined to make a comeback.”
His doctor, Larissa Pavone, has been especially impressed by Benny, saying, “There is nothing easy about what Benny is going through and yet he handles every challenge with a wonderful spirit, maturity and optimism. He’s a remarkable, intelligent and funny kid with an old soul.”
