Amy Dixon’s son Ben “did not need to be often called the most cancers child.”
Ben was 9 when he was recognized with Ewing’s sarcoma, a bone most cancers. Over the subsequent 12 months, he went via 14 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 radiation therapies, and in March 2020 he was deemed most cancers free, Amy stated.
In June 2020, Ben’s most cancers was again. Amy and her husband, Dave’s, 11-year-old son Ben died July 8, 2021.
“Ben was one of the best particular person I’ve ever recognized,” Amy stated.
Ben liked spicy Cheetos, Lego and humorous tv exhibits, Amy stated. He liked video video games, and taking part in video games is how he stayed linked to his pals whereas he was going via most cancers remedy through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ben additionally liked sloths.
“He liked that they slowed down and appreciated life, he liked that they at all times appeared like they have been smiling,” Amy stated.
Ben was capable of meet a sloth in October 2019 due to a program referred to as Wild Needs. Regardless of Ben feeling very sick that day, Amy stated he had an enormous smile on his face the entire go to.
“It was magic to see his smile,” she stated. “… The pure pleasure and marvel on his face was every little thing.”
He liked sloths a lot, Amy stated, that Ben — who helped plan his personal celebration of life — needed everybody to put on sloth T-shirts to his funeral as a result of “no person will be unhappy if everyone seems to be carrying sloth T-shirts.” The greater than 700 folks in attendance wore them.
Since Ben’s loss of life, Amy stated their household has felt extremely supported by the Northern Colorado group. Neighbors began a motion referred to as #BeLikeBen, which inspires folks to unfold kindness locally simply as Ben had, she stated.
When the group heard concerning the Denver Zoo’s fundraiser to call their new child Linne’s two-toed sloth, messages so as to add Ben’s title to the listing of choices flooded in.
“I used to be floored by all of it,” Amy stated. “It was extremely particular.”
The fundraiser allowed donors who contributed $5 to vote for his or her favourite of three names: Rain, Wicket or Cappuccino. Wicket was the winner, and the Dixon household acquired to make the announcement on April 4 in Ben’s honor.
The zoo took discover of those messages, and reached out to the Dixons and shared Ben’s story on their Fb web page, zoo communications director Jake Kubié stated. However they did not need to add Ben’s title in after the fundraiser already started as a result of they needed to respect earlier donors’ votes.
“Sadly the timing did not work out completely to incorporate Ben in our title combine, but it surely positively acquired our consideration and we have been positively impressed by his story,” Kubié stated. “… It was actually necessary for us to acknowledge that effort from the group and share Ben’s story.”
Amy admitted Ben doubtless would not have needed to be honored on this method, and that he did not like being within the highlight. He needed his reminiscence for use to assist others, not for his personal glory, she stated.
She stated their household is within the early levels of working with the zoo to create a program that might assist different sick youngsters, one thing she thinks “Ben could be very pleased with and actually enthusiastic about.”
“That’s one thing that Ben would have liked,” Amy stated.
