I know I’m not alone when I say that Ben is one of the kindest, truest, and most compassionate people I have ever known. And one of the funniest. Whenever Ben rolled on to the floor, I knew it would be a great day, no matter what the day had been like already. His cheerful disposition, sense of humor, and work ethic were always a welcome sight, even when he was about to undertake a task he didn’t care so much for. And Ben is smart. Wicked smart. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, he let it slip to me that he was one foreign language class away from being an RN, and after that I never let him live it down. “Ben!” I’d say. “How’s the Spanish coming?” “Ben! Did you graduate school yet?” “Did you take your language class Ben?” And he was (usually) a sport about it, obligingly answering my questions, although I’m sure he probably wanted to roll his eyes at me. (Sorry for all the nagging, Ben!)

Now, Ben’s school has decided that in addition to the foreign language class, he must also retake the final term of nursing school. In addition to this huge time crunch that this will pose, our dear friend also has a family to care for, and bills to pay, in addition to the cost of schooling.

Quite literally, Ben would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He has helped us all when we need it, whether by making us laugh while under stress, taking time to have a conversation during a busy shift, or even just giving a bear hug when one was needed most. This doesn’t include the fantastic brother and parent he is!

I could go on and on about Ben and all his wonderful attributes, but then I’d just be preaching to the choir. We all know this and we ALL want to see Ben succeed. Here is a friend, no, a family member who needs our help. He would do the same for us, so let’s do it for him!

Let’s get Ben to RN!