Rancho Bernardo youngster granted wish to see platypuses

By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

When 11-year-old Ben Krueger returned to St. Michael’s School in Poway on Wednesday, he had a lot of good news to share with his fellow sixth graders.

On Tuesday morning, Ben learned he and his family will be traveling to Australia in a couple months so he can meet a platypus, courtesy of Make-A-Wish San Diego and Isagenix International.

The Rancho Bernardo boy had missed most of the previous school year due to undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease that this summer entered a 2 ½-year maintenance phase, according to his parents. Due to his impaired immune system — a side effect of chemo — Ben had to stay at home for most of the past 12 months.

But now that Ben is healthy, he can return to school and when he did so, he had more than just the typical kid-topics to share after an extended separation from his friends.

“It was amazing, I was overwhelmed,” Ben said about the announcement made while he was helping Gerry Katzman, owner of Hollywood’s Magic Castle, perform a magic trick at Isagenix International’s Strength in Momentum celebration in the San Diego Convention Center. “I had no idea we are actually going and my wish was granted.”

Ben’s parents, Stephanie and Ingolf Krueger, were in on the secret, but kept it a surprise so Ben could learn about it in front of more than 10,000 conference attendees.

“I thought I was going down there just to tell them about Make-A-Wish Foundation, that I would just be speaking in front of a crowd,” Ben said.

“It was hard,” Ingolf said about keeping the trip a secret. “We told Ben the event was part of the Make-A-Wish process.”

“It was tough and I was so tempted to tell him … to cheer him up on the not-so-good days,” Stephanie said.

Ingolf said last summer the family was in Florida, where Ben attended a soccer goalkeeper camp with Tim Howard from the U.S. Men’s National Team. During the trip Ben experienced joint pain in his ankles and knees that became progressively worse as they flew back home. A few days later, with now “unbearable pain,” Ben saw his pediatrician, who referred him to a rheumatologist at Rady Children’s Hospital.

On July 26, 2013 medical tests confirmed Ben had leukemia and he immediately began the first phase of his chemotherapy treatments, one that required surgery during a two-week hospitalization. After the first round of chemo he was able to return home, but had to go to the hospital frequently. A nurse also provided treatments at his home.

“He was very strong and in great spirits,” Ingolf said, adding those spirits were often lifted when messages of support were sent by his soccer teammates, St. Michael’s classmates, family friends and relatives. “They sent positive messages and we are profoundly grateful.”

Classmates sent Ben a lot of cards over the year and for his birthday created a music video to his favorite song, “Happy.”

Stephanie said right after Ben’s diagnosis they were told he would be eligible to have a wish granted, but due to his health they decided to postpone applying until after he was given a clean bill of health by his doctor. They started the process in June after Ben entered the maintenance phase. “His immune system is more stable, he has more strength and a normal life again,” she said.

Ben said he requested an Australian trip for him, his parents and 8-year-old brother, Leon, because that is the only place people can see a platypus in the wild.

“I really like (the platypus) because of how interesting it is,” he said. “It’s a mammal that lays eggs. It also looks very unusual, like you took the body parts of different animals and glued them onto a body.”

Ben said he became “fascinated” with the platypus after a friend of his mother drew one and he has never seen one in person.

The 10-day adventure will feature the family flying to Melbourne, Australia so they can wade with platypuses at the Healseville Sanctuary, and kayak at Great Otway National Park so they can see platypuses in the wild. They will also visit the Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Zoo and take a day trip to Phillip Island to see miniature penguins native to the island.

Leon, a St. Michael’s third grader, said, “I want to see the platypuses and look forward to just being there and enjoying it.”

Wishes are provided through the help of more than 25,000 volunteers plus donors — like Isagenix, which has raised more than $1.5 million to help grant more than 190 wishes. On Tuesday during Ben’s wish reveal, Isagenix board member Jim Pierce and his wife, Tammy, challenged the company’s top income earners to match their $100,000 donation. The audience responded by donating more than $200,000.