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Jun 26, 2009 9:54 pm US/Eastern
Good 4 You: 12-year-old Boy Makes A Difference
PINECREST (CBS4) ―
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Chad Masin is raising money to help a younger child gain his normal life back.
CBS
Selfless acts should never go unnoticed, and when those acts come from a 12-year-old child, they should be applauded and rewarded. A South Florida boy is dedicating an entire year to changing the life of a boy who needs all the help he can get.
Six-year-old Joseph Ben-Aharon needs therapy to bounce back from a life-threatening disease.
What looked like a cold turned into Influenza Encephalitis. Joseph's condition worsened in less than two weeks.
"They had to put him in a coma. They have to let the brain rest for the seizures he was having," said Natalie Ben-Aharon, Joseph's mother. He was in a coma for seven months, until it was safe to wake him up; but then came another fight.
Joseph can't walk or talk. He can't do much of anything without assistance. The little boy struggles to do just about anything. "Some days it was very hard. Some days it was very good," said Natalie, who has been by his side the entire time.
The same time doctors brought Joseph out of the coma, a boy from Pinecrest came forward. Chad Masin heard of Joseph's story from Chai Life Line, a Jewish group that helps kids bounce back from disabilities.
"I need to help him get back to normal, 'cause I would hate to be in his body right now," said Chad Masin, who began a letter writing campaign to raise money for more therapy sessions, in an attempt to give Joseph his life back. "I heard the story about what happened. I said, 'sure, I really want to help this kid to get back to normal.'"
"I can't imagine not playing sports or eating by myself or walking and talking by myself," Masin said.
Before the disease, Joseph was a normal little boy, with a lot of energy and a great smile and with more therapy, maybe he will regain his life. "He [has] a chance. I know in my heart," said Natalie Ben-Aharon.
Masin's goal is to raise $50-thousand to increase the number of times Joseph goes to therapy each week. So far, he has raised $5,000.
Masin has another goal, too: he wants Joseph to get better by next year, so he can attend his Bar Mitzvah and walk in on his own.
If you would like to help Joseph,
e-mail CBS4's Jorge Estevez.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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