eSpecially Ben

Ben turns 12 years old today. Our lives changed forever the day he was born. Ryan and I became parents to a wild redhead with more energy and determination than an entire village. Like most people who become parents, we knew we would instill in our child the valuable lessons needed for life. We had no idea that Ben would be the one to teach us. Here are Ben's words of wisdom: Manners, Please Every parent has to fight for their child at some point. Be thoughtful, thankful and thorough when advocating for your child. Just this morning, a friend started a Facebook post that used words that were derogatory toward people with special needs. After a moment's thought, I spoke to the person privately. This person had no idea they were being offensive and removed the post immediately. Without lessons learned through Ben, I would have approached the situation with anger, accusations and assumptions. Friends Give Hugs Often Ben reaches out to strangers to touch their hand. He

I ran to the bathroom before the final event on the last day of Rainbow Express at Matthews United Methodist Church . Inside the bathroom, a girl was crying inside one of the stalls, "I don't want to leave. I want to know I can come back next week." The sadness in this girl's voice was so intense that I wanted to cry with her. Her counselor assured her that she could come back next year. Rainbow Express is a weeklong day camp for children with special needs. About 70 campers participate and they love every minute of it. Energy is high, activities are in abundance, hugs are infinite and a puppet show is promised every afternoon. After kids attend a year or two, it becomes a family reunion for everyone. The entire week is planned by the youth from the church with guidance from founder Laurie Little and other staff and volunteers. Each camper has a youth counselor and a buddy to help them through the activities of the week. The entire church community is committed

We are at the halfway mark for summer, and I think I can survive the rest of it. We have had fun visiting a lot of different places, many of which are accessible for wheelchairs, offer activities that Ben can do and are low to no cost. Fun places to visit: New River Trail State Park in Virginia Dan Nicholas Park Maggie Valley & Lake Januluska

My kids untied me for a minute so I could post this story. (It has been that kind of summer from day one!) A church member sent me this article they read in American Way, the American Airlines magazine. Thought it was worth passing on to others: Triumph of the Spirit by Todd Aaron Jensen

I am not sure what got me crying first - Mr. Dilligard wearing a bow tie or the entire audience clapping for Ben and his friend, the only two 5th graders in the special education program graduating this year.  No other students received this same ovation. It was heartwarming, and I did breakdown. My crying started that morning, even before the ceremony. I have decided that my emotional turmoil was caused by having to say goodbye to teachers and students that we have known for many years. Knowing that Ben did not truly understand that he was not coming back made me sad for him. The little girl walking with him has been his friend for seven years. He has had a serious crush on her for as long as I can remember. His other friends in the class hug him constantly and worry about him throughout the day. They were a close knit bunch - loving one another and caring about each other. Ben will find new friends, teachers and assistants that love him just as dearly

We have come a long way with Ben's bathroom. NARI and Rebuilding Together Charlotte have kept the project running smoothly with subcontractors coming through to do the foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and insulation. Drywall starts this week and then it's downhill from there. A shout out and BIG thank you to the contractors (all are NARI members) who have donated time, labor and materials to Ben's bathroom so far: DeRhodes Construction  - contracting and managing Queen City Lumber  - framing package and siding Andrew Roby Contracting  - framing labor Bedford Falls Builders  - drywall WAC Contracting  - foundation All About the Pipes  - plumbing Aldred Electric  - electric ABS Insulation  - insulation Quality Comfort  - heating and air conditioning

We raised $4,515! Thank you everyone for your support. The likes, shares and donations brought us to #1 Fundraising Team in North Carolina - no small feat. There were 106 teams. Here are a few of the 1000 photos that were taken! It was an incredible feeling to be a part of this event - most likely, a once in a lifetime opportunity. Our team! Waiting for the torch to come our way. This was our group of family and friends who came out to support us. At the end of our 1/2 mile segment, we passed the torch to a father and son team. Amy, Jolanda and Lorcan Hats were meant to be removed, says Ben. Impressive motorcade of police from Charlotte and Los Angeles. This team passed us the torch. Passing on the torch to our team. Here we go! All the team members had a chance to carry the torch. For more photos through Special Olympics, go here .

Tomorrow at 5pm, our Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America Team will carry the Flame of Hope for 1/2 mile as it makes it way toward the World Games in LA.   Our fundraising efforts have landed us #1 Team in NC. There are 106 teams so this is quite an accomplishment. Our competitive nature got the best of us - but for a worthy cause.  Thank you for your support and donations. I will post photos from event on Friday.  If you have not had a chance to donate but wish to do so, please check out:    Ben's Page

Ben at the 2015 Special Olympics Mecklenburg Spring Games Ben is just ONE athlete who participates in the Special Olympics. There are many children and adults with intellectual disabilities who benefit from the sports programs, coaching relationships and fellowship that comes along with competing in the Special Olympics. There are no costs involved for the athletes. They attend practices, local tournaments, state games and world games - with no cost to them. All expenses are paid through donations. Today at 6:54am, a message on Facebook popped up from John, "hi vanessa". John is one of the adult athletes I met through the Special Olympics steering committee. After hellos and how are yous, John told me that he was going to the state games today for track and field. He competes in the softball throw and the 25 and 50 meter races. He proudly shared with me that he has been involved with track since 1972 .  After he assured me that he would stay hydrated at today's g

Ben and I are participating in the  Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America Team .  Our Team is in 2nd place in fundraising among ALL 106 teams in North Carolina. We are only $135 behind. If you want Ben's team to be #1 (and help out Special Olympics programs), please donate here: Ben McCall A fundraising page for Ben McCall URAA.DONORDRIVE.COM Our Team: Six Strong in Charlotte! On May 14 th , the Flame of Hope was lit in Athens, Greece-the site of the last Special Olympics World Games in 2011.  It arrived on American soil and is currently making its journey across the country via the Unified Relay Across America to Los Angeles for the 2015 World Games in July!  Our team of passionate parents, students, and coaches will be running the torch on a segment in Charlotte, NC next Thursday, June 4 th .  This is a once in a lifetime experience to be a part of this movement to create awareness and unite communities in acceptance of th

For the first time, we attended the 29th Annual Special Olympics Night at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Wow! What an impressive event for families, group home residents, teams and schools. We were greeted by the United States Air Force National Guard and handed t-shirts and flags. After dinner, dancing and even some frisbee play, we all headed over to the speedway in golf carts. We went to a NASCAR race in 2011 with Grin Kids , but we were newbies and did not know to bring headphones or seat Ben in a wheelchair area. We spent the entire time fighting Ben as he "interacted" with the NASCAR enthusiasts and driven crazy by the noise of the roaring engines. This time we came prepared - headphones, earplugs and special seating for Ben. We made it through the practice rounds and all three qualifying races. We finished the evening with a thrill ride through the parking lot in a wheelchair ramped golf cart driven by a man who missed his calling as a race car driver.