Mt. Pleasant student pays it forward

MT. PLEASANT - The future of the world is looking bright if all 11-year-olds are as compassionate and empathetic as Owain Bennett.

The fifth-grader from Mt. Pleasant was recently inspired by a local Henry County nonprofit to pay it forward and donate money in hopes of helping families and individuals dealing with a serious illness or are in need.

Owain is no stranger to the financial strain cancer treatments can have on a family, especially after having to see his own father battle the disease, a diagnosis that came in the summer of 2016.

Owain's father, Thomas James Bennett, who works for the National Guard out of Camp Dodge in Des Moines, was feeling mostly fine until he accidentally swallowed a pop tab from a soda can. The tab would rupture his spleen, but also point to a more serious situation blooming in his knee - a tumor that would, at one point, grow to be the size of a grapefruit.

The only hospital within driving distance equipped to treat his particular type of cancer was the University of Iowa, which meant endless commuting and weeks upon weeks of time taken off from work. Thomas credits the assistance of Mt. Pleasant charity, Help to Others (H2O), who helped him physically get to his doctor's appointments and to his cancer treatments.

'Iowa City isn't close so I was out of work and my sister put my name in with a friend who runs the Help to Others group. They sent me gas cards, and because I didn't have an income, without the cards, I couldn't make it to Iowa City,” Thomas said. And thanks to the treatment he received at the university, Thomas is now cancer free.

H2O, a nonprofit started in 1995, aims to 'assist individuals living and/or working in Henry County who are faced with crisis and emergency situations such as serious illness, a serious car accident or devastating house fire.”

The group provides gas cards among other forms of financial assistance that may not be covered by various local organizations.

Owain, who was worried throughout his father's health ordeal, decided after his father finished his treatments to try to do something who may be going through tough times. Of his own volition, the fifth-grader would begin saving his allowance, Easter money and doing extra chores to raise $100 to donate to a charity.

The fifth-grader explained that the idea came around Christmastime last year, and spent the following months saving up to make a donation to a worthy cause.

'My chores at home are taking the trash out, hanging the clothes up on the clothesline and doing the dishes a bit and putting away other people's clothes,” Owain explained. In a week, the fifth-grader usually gets about $5.

When Owain was deciding which organization to donate the money to, his father suggested H2O.

'I did it because it was the same people who helped my dad through cancer,” Owain said. It was important to him that the money went to people who directly supported his father.

'We talked to his dad and he said one of the best things was knowing that he didn't have to worry about how he was going to get to Iowa City everyday for treatment … they gave him a gas card and that was the one thing he was most appreciative for. Knowing that he didn't have to worry about the expense of gas, he said it eased his mind a little bit,” Pam, Owain's mother, said.

Owain hopes recipients of his money will be able to use the money for things like 'medicine, so they can get better, faster.”

'It makes me happy that these charities exist to help people,” Owain said.

Penny Kruse, treasurer of H2O said everyone from the organization was 'very impressed” by Owain's gift and his decision to pay it forward after his father received help.

'Unless you have a family member going through a medical crisis, you have no idea what the impact it has on your family as they're going through the treatments. Owain's definitely been on that side of it, and most people who have received help want to pay it forward after,” Kruse added.

'I'm really proud of him. As a parent, I'm glad that he's growing up to be an awesome person who's caring … that's how I view being a good person is. It's helping out when someone needs help, whether its donating money, donating your time, donating items, because at any point, everything could turn,” Pam said.

With the holidays nearby, Owain is saving up again to make another donation. The 11-year-old has asked to have a part of his Christmas money set aside for his donation fund.

'I want to keep doing this and helping other people,” Owain added.