Local Mom Aims To Raise Awareness After Preschooler's Death

ST. CHARLES, IL – St. Charles mom Elizabeth Gerlach is looking to raise awareness about a foundation started by her and her husband after their son, Benjamin, died at the age of 3 in May 2016. Gerlach submitted the following Letter to the Editor as a way to share with Patch readers what the Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation is aiming to do and to raise awareness about the needs for children with specific disabilities.

Dear Editor,

I represent a local fund called Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation, which we formed after my son Benjamin died May 2016. Ben had quadriplegia cerebral palsy, epilepsy, was nonverbal, and suffered from chronic respiratory illnesses. Despite his challenges, he smiled every single day. We established Ben Smiles with the hopes of supporting groups and families with kids like our Ben.

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. Special equipment, adapted toys, other tools are out there but they can be expensive, hard to find, and many times, are not covered by insurance or will come with large copays. Ben Smiles’ core mission is to provide adapted toys, switches and other small devices to children through our Ben’s Toy Closet program.

So far, we have participated in two Adapt-A-Toy Events and given switch-adapted toys and switches to 15 children -- but we are hoping to reach more. In addition, we have donated to our church special needs ministry, provided a dinner meal to Ronald McDonald House families in Chicago and delivered gift bags to kids in the PICU at CDH this past Thanksgiving.

I am still trying to raise awareness of Ben’s Toy Closet, and would love your help. I’d like to increase general support for the foundation and our mission in addition to identifying toy recipients and kids that would benefit from a new adapted toy.

I am currently planning a 1st Annual Ben’s Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser for this March at St Charles Bowl.

Many thanks,

Elizabeth Gerlach
Ben Smiles Memorial Foundation

www.BenSmiles.org