Ben's Medical Fund

At the age of 3, my cousin Ben was diagnosed with Dural AV Fistula, which are exceptionally rare vascular anomalies. It is formed by an abnormal connection between arteries within the dura mater and veins that normally drain the brain. Since then, Ben has undergone multiple brain surgeries, each life threatening. For every surgery, they fly from Georgia to New York and as you can imagine, this racks up some serious medical bills, as well as traveling expenses. They just got back from their last check up a few weeks ago where they found out that the fitsula had reopened and once again, at the age of 5, Ben had to undergo an unexpected brain surgery. In December they'll fly up again for another check up. While in New York, they stay at the Ronald McDonald House, which is great for kids and not as costly, however they still have to pay for the plane tickets to get there, meals, etc. For my 19th birthday, please don't send any gifts or checks, all I want is to be able to help my incredibly strong family with past and future medical bills. This page is to help fundraise for both their medical and traveling expenses. I know it's a steep goal, but any and all donations are greatly appreciated.

The first time I met Ben in 2010:

Ben's 2014 New York trip:

Ben's 2015 New York trip (all smiles even after undergoing brain surgery):