"My main goal is to raise enough money to help my parents simply put a "dent" in the expenses of my brother's medication. I want to show this insurance company what a success this can be, and will be (I hope!) If I can help them with one month, maybe we can convince this insurance company to reconsider! I will do whatever it takes!"


Hi! My name is Sydney Crider and I have created this page with many hopes. My first hope is that I can help someone better understand just how often medical negligence actually happens in hospitals. My second hope is that I can help someone better understand Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy, my third hope is that I can put a smile on your face with all of my amazing stories about a man that is very special to my heart; my big brother Ben.

Benjamin Lawrence Crider was born on August 27th, 1983 in Kingsville Texas. Born a beautiful baby, at 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and 18 and a half inches long, he was my Mother's first born child. I, not being a Mother myself, cannot imagine the feeling of first laying your eyes on your baby. I am sure my Mom was overwhelmed with many emotions such as happiness and joy at the perfect creation she had given life to. Sadly, little Ben's battle with life began shortly after her blissful moment.
What started out as a mixture of loving emotions shortly turned to a mixture of fear and confusion. Something was wrong with Ben. Ben's skin appeared very dark in color, and was almost peeling away. The Doctor told my Mom it was something to do with Ben being carried past his due date. This made for confusion as she was recently told Ben was pre-mature. I am never one to argue God's will but what I will touch on next leaves me filled with anger. Ben was put in to a nursery with all of the other healthy babies. My Mom noticed while looking at him that he was much more "blue-ish" in color than all of the other babies around him. The Doctor and nurses had decided Ben had a collapsed lung...yet he was never incubated. Such carelessness and negligence; my brother laid there while oxygen slowly left his brain.
After 5 days at the Kingsville hospital little Ben was finally transferred where someone could properly care for him. He was sent to the Children's hospital in Corpus Christi, TX. Upon his arrival he was put in to the NICU and tests were ran...to my Mother's horror, they weren't good. Ben had contracted Viral Meningitis (from a worker at the Kingsville hospital, we think). On top of Ben's diagnosis, his feet were terribly swollen from being poked with so many needles; an IV was started in his forehead. Finally, after many tears and a total of 14 days my Mother was able to bring her precious baby boy home...that's where the real trouble began.
Ben was always a "delayed" baby, a "different" baby. My Mom always caught his body tensing up and his little eyes darting, she knew something was not right. At nine months old, my dear Granny made my Mother get a second opinion. Granny was holding Ben in her arms, trying to feed him, when he began convulsing. Scared to death, and confused, my Mom took sweet Ben to a neurologist for answers.
Ben has epilepsy; severe, rapid, epilepsy (AKA Lennox–Gastaut syndrome). His seizures were fierce and said to get worse with age...the prognosis was not good. With this syndrome my Mother was told Ben might not make it to see his 15th birthday, his life may be cut short. I cannot even begin to fathom the pain and fear my young Mother felt. What do you do? How do you deal? How do you cope?
A few more months went by and Ben was being sent to other therapists, such as PT and OT specialists. It was then my Mom was made aware that on top of Ben's epilepsy condition he also had Cerebral Palsy. For those of you who may not know, Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and posture. Most often the problems occur during pregnancy; however, they may also occur during childbirth, or shortly after birth. Cerebral Palsy restricts muscle control and movement. With high hopes my Mom wanted so badly for Ben to walk. After extensive therapy, surgeries, and braces--Ben still cannot walk and is bound to a wheel chair. This is not the worst part.
We are not complaining, our hearts are full! We are beyond blessed, lucky, and honored to have Ben in our lives. I am absolutely privileged to be his sister and have learned so many beautiful ways to look at the world, through his eyes. I am passionate about helping children with special needs and I am determined to get the word out about my brother.
With God's will, Ben is 32 years old! He has already defied the odds in so many ways. For those of you who have not had the honor of meeting Ben, he is a joy! He is the light that carries our whole family through. He has a love of Star-Trek, The Flinstones, Big Brother, and The Cooking Channel! He is noble, bold, strong, brave, courageous and wise. He is the king of the remote, the boss of the pets, and the star of all Holiday's. Although we are told his mentality is that of a young teen, he is sure to put a smile on your face! What a blessing our family has been given!
Aside from the joy, there is the harsh reality-Ben's medicine is no longer working effectively. His seizures are daily, ranging from 10-80 (Yes, 80 in ONE DAY.) My brother does not deserve this and I would take his place in one single heartbeat...but sadly, that is not an option.
A sneeze, a giggle, or a loud noise can set off his seizures. Joy from excitement is darkened by the ugly epilepsy. My brother is now having to wear a helmet in his home, to prevent injuries to his head. This is no way to live. My Mom has one last solution, one last hope that her baby can have some relief--that he can have the quality of life that he truly deserves--Medical Marijuana.
So many people are frowning upon this choice but we cannot stop the fight until he is given what he needs. We are blessed to have found a doctor that sees Ben as a perfect candidate for Cannabis Oil...but we are at a stand still. The Cannabis Oil is not going to be covered by Ben's insurance, not one single penny. The oil can run anywhere from $300-$1,000 an ounce, Ben needs more than 20 ounces a month for even a chance that it might help. My Mother has done this all on her own, her entire life. She has raised not only my disabled brother but myself. Our Mom and Step-Dad are loving and do whatever they can to make all of us happy, but this is the most difficult obstacle.
My main goal is to raise enough money to help my parents simply put a "dent" in the expenses of my brother's medication.  I want to show this insurance company what a success this can be, and will be (I hope!)  If I can help them with one month, maybe we can convince this insurance company to reconsider!  I will do whatever it takes!
What I am asking for is for one single person to read this and have a change of heart. I am asking for one person to help us stand up and be Ben's voice in this battle. I am going to start fundraiser's early in this coming year like bake sales, and t-shirts. If you cannot participate, that is perfectly fine, just spread the word and send us good vibes and prayers! We want to give this a try and see if it can finally answer our prayers. God is good and I know that we will find a way to make this happen for my brother! This sister is determined to make some changes.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our story!