Family honors son by giving special needs children adapted toys

When I was a new parent Baby Einstein was just becoming a “thing” and there was a lot of hype around educational and developmental toys. I sought out stores and websites that sold these toys, even if there was a heavty price tag attached to them because I wanted to give my children every opportunity to thrive. But I never stopped to think about the parents whose children weren’t able to play with these toys. Or how difficult and expensive it would be to find toys adapted for kids with motor development and cognitive issues.

For some parents, finding toys their children can actually play with is not as simple as going onto a website and clicking “add to cart.”

In 20017 Rob & Elizabeth Gerlach established the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation “in hopes of creating happiness and smiles for children with special needs, making important toys and tools accessible.”

They created Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation in honor of their son, Ben, who passed away in 2016 when he was just four years old. Ben, a triplet, was born in 2012 at only 25 weeks. Ben and his siblings spent several months in the NICU due to their early arrival and Ben’s challenges began in those early days. He was diagnosed with cystic encephalomalacia, and quadriplegic cerebral palsy. He also had a feeding tube (g-tube), visual impairment, regular seizures/epilepsy, was nonverbal and developed chronic respiratory illnesses. Yet despite his challenges, he was a happy kid who loved to smile, according to the Foundation’s website.

Through the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation, the Gerlach’s want to help other children smile.

“Many kids with fine & gross motor development, cognitive or sensory issues have a difficult time playing, moving, communicating, eating, talking, learning … doing the basic things that a child should be able to do,” explains the Foundation’s website. “Special equipment, adapted toys, other tools are out there but they are expensive, hard to find, and many times, not covered by insurance or come with large copays.”

By supporting the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation, you can help children with special needs experience the joy of play that every child deserves, and help create smiles.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Donate: The Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation accepts financial donations to fund the purchase of adapted toys, tools, and positioning equipment. Click here to donate.
2. Volunteer: Contact the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation team to find out how you can help with an upcoming event or fundraiser.
3. Become a Partner: If you’d like to partner with the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation on a specific promotion or event, or partner as a gift recipient, fill out their online partnership form.
4. Spread the word: Give them a follow on Facebook or Instagram and help spread the word!

This blog post was written in partnership with the Blogging for Better Supporters, a collective platform to raise awareness and money for a different charity each month. #bloggingforbetter

Featured image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash