My story is a unique one and one that should be shared. It is a story filled with Faith Hope and Love. My story started at the age of three. I began having difficulty breathing and the doctors thought I had asthma. When my condition worsened, they sent me for an x-ray and to see if I had swallowed something, and it was stuck in my throat. The results came back before we even left the radiologist. My parents were informed that I had a large mass in my chest, and that I must immediately go to Arnold Hospital for Children in Orlando.
After many test, biopsies, and scans it was finally determined that I had T-cell lymphoma. They used radiation on my chest to help me breath. The radiation got rid of the tumor in my chest. It was a miracle. My cancer was gone. Then one month later, my parents got the news that the tumor grew back in my stomach, chest, kidneys and other places in my body. I had stage 4 cancer, and they immediately began aggressively treating me with chemotherapy.
For two years, they put me through countless surgeries, scans, and treatments to try to save my life. My mom said at two points during the treatment I almost died. The prayers and support my family gave me during this time got me through it.
As if cancer wasn't enough, the doctors found out that I had a heart condition. My coronary artery was in the wrong spot and it snaked between my aorta and pulmonary vessel. I had to be put on a strict activityless lifestyle. They didn't know how much activity would be too much before I had a heart attack. They couldn't treat me for this at the time because of the chemotherapy. They had to wait until I was 10 years old and in remission. I had open heart surgery in 2010 to repair my heart. The doctors told my parents that my cancer saved my life. If the doctors had not been looking at my body so meticulously for cancer, they would have never found out that I had a heart problem before it was too late. This taught my family to have Faith. Jesus has a plan for everything.
Finally, after 7 and a half years I could finally be a boy. My cancer and treatments took a toll on my body, and I will live with side effects for the rest of my life. Even today at age 18 my life is filled with doctors and specialists treating me for the effects of my cancer.
My ordeal showed me how much I was loved and cared for by my family and community. People who met me or heard my story would give my parents money or prayers to help us through it. The town I lived in held fund raisers for my surgeries and care. One time we came home from a long stay in the hospital to find that volunteers had planted beautiful flowers and plants in our yard to try to make us feel better. The Love made us stronger.
All students in my county are required to do community service hours. I wanted to make sure that I tried to return the favor for all the support I was given by going above and beyond in my community service. I have spent more than 300 hours volunteeering at local elementary schools, churches, and the community soccer league. At the elementary schools, I help the teachers with jobs, and I work with groups of students.
I won the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2018 for the District of Indian River County in the teen division for my work at the schools. At my church, I have been altar serving monthly at the weekly masses since I was 8 years old. At the soccer league, I volunteer coach young players on a team. I also have been a part of local blood drives to get more people to donate blood. I had multiple blood transfusions during my treatment, and I know the importance of having enough blood in our blood banks. I also collect aluminum can tops to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. They recycle them and use the money to help families like mine, be able to stay for free or for small amounts of money when their children are in the hospital.
I know I am destined to do something great in my life. My childhood taught me the importance of hard work, perserverance and having goals. I love computers and all types of technology. I want to go to college to get a master's degree in computer engineering. I Hope that I might be able to invent some type of technology that might help cancer patients or the field of medicine. I know that is not the only thing I will do for my life, but I recognize that I will need a good education to get there. Your scholarship could help make that possible for me and my family. Please consider me for the Faith, Hope and Love Jesus Scholarship. I am a survivor in more ways than one. I want to make my life worth all the trouble my doctors, nurses, and family went through to save it.
Benjamin Irish FAQ:
1. What school are you attending?
I am currently enrolled at Indian River State College. I am halfway through my AAS because I was dual enrolled.
2. What is your major?
My major is Automotive Engineering. I have been obsessed with cars for a long time.
3. What are your interests and hobbies?
I enjoy working on and building my car in my spare time. I also like to go fishing on nice days.
4. What plans do you have after you graduate?
I plan to work for an automotive repair shop and to be able to afford to build multiple cars so that I can race them professionally.
5. Share whatever you would like about who Bejamin Irish is.
Even though I have been through a lot with my cancer, I have still pushed forward and achieved many things. I hope to inspire people to not give up and that when life seems rough you can get through it.
