For those of you who are new to Ben's story, he's been defying expectations and pushing limits even while struggling with certain aspects of daily life since a diving accident in Lake Michigan in June 2021 left him with a shattered C5 vertebra and resulting quadriplegia. He was just about to turn 16 at the time of the accident and he's missed out on a lot of "normal" teenage activities like learning to drive or any sort of normal high school experience but he hasn't let that stop him.

Now in his mid-20s Ben has been living with this injury for 4 years, which seems like a lifetime yet is really only a drop in the bucket when compared to the full life he has ahead of himself. Ben has had to take full ownership of his body, his strengths, his finances, his care team,and also his limitations to determine what he needs to live a full and happy life.

He is now a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and livesin an apartment by himself. He still needs 4 hours of care a day and often his care is intermittent. That is challenging to say the least.

Thank you all for sharing with us in this challenging journey. Thank you for all of your support. Thank you for helping Ben get closer and closer to a comfortable live in which he gets a fair shot at success , however he defines it

Cathy and Steve