Benjamin’s Story

Site created on March 31, 2008

Welcome! This site has been created to keep friends and family updated about Ben's progress in his fight against cancer.

Ben's old Caringbridge site (http://caringbridgeclassic.org/ga/benjaminsmith/) is still around. Please visit to read back on our journey. But starting today, this will be our main website where I will post updates and current photos of Ben. Thanks, as always, for following us during this journey!



Ben was diagnosed on April 2, 2004 when he was only 2 years old with Biphenotypic Acute Leukemia. He went into remission on May 20th of the same year and, relatively speaking, experienced smooth sailing for 3 years.

In the summer of 2007 we were nearing the end of his chemotherapy treatment with only 2 clinic visits left to go. It was during his last routine spinal tap that leukemia cells were found in his spinal fluid. Ben relapsed on June 28, 2007.

On October 23, 2009, after 2 1/2 years of relapse chemotherapy treatment and radiation, Ben is cancer free.


On October 23, 2019, after 10 years off chemotherapy, Ben's doctors said that we could use the word, "cured".

Newest Update

A Day Like Any Other

Journal entry by Belinda Smith —

Most times I find myself asking, “Where has the time gone?” But today I’m saying, ”Well, it’s about time!”
 
Benjamin is 10 years from his last chemotherapy today and I was told that on this day I could use the word, “cured”, to describe him.
 
It’s a funny thing, this cancer thing. You’d think I’d be overjoyed that we’ve finally arrived at this point. But what it does is it makes you wary. It makes you avoid counting your chickens altogether. We filled our basket with all our eggs just before Ben’s last round of chemo for his first diagnosis and we started talking about having a party. But that party never happened. Living through Ben’s relapse taught us that nothing is certain.
 
I won’t make that mistake again.
So there won’t be any hoopla. This time, I’ll just go about today as if it were like any other. I’ll share my thoughts as I’d normally do on this day and I won’t expect much. I’ll just aim to maintain the harmony and I will be content in seeking light in every day, hope in every minute, peace in every second.
 
And, I’m gonna call Ben today. You know, just to see what’s up.☺️
Read More of the journal titled "A Day Like Any Other"
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