Benny’s Story
Big Ideas, Real Impact.
Every event we host is designed with intention, from the atmosphere we create to the way each session flows.
It was just like a normal Tuesday night in October until we received a call to race to the cricket nets as our 17 year old Benny had been injured.
On arrival all emergencies services were on the scene and I saw them working on Ben. I was told he had a heart beat but wasn’t responding to anything. We were rushed to Monash Children’s ICU where we were informed by the main doctors that Benny was brain dead and no surgery could reverse the situation.
Our world just crashed. The deep grief and sadness was instant with shock and disbelief constant also.
MICU were just amazing and extremely caring and gave us anything and everything. For 3 nights they kept Benny’s heart beat alive so Trace, Coops, Zach and I could spend quality time with Benny.
The grief was extremely brutal and for each of us was a totally different experience.
For me the grief makes you selfish. I couldn’t be anything to Trace or my other boys as I was broken emotionally. Physically I was in my own world of grief and sadness. Preparing your eldest son’s funeral isn’t something you ever expected to be preparing. It was bloody tough.
Ben was an extremely active year 11 boy who loved all sports. He was at a Sports Academy School with cricket being his chosen sport. He also loved the AFL - Collingwood was huge part of his life. Boundary umpiring was where he knew he would make it as he loved long distance running.
To keep his memory alive we have set up the Ben Austin Legacy.
