The dream lives on

So what if he was no great shakes as a hitter or a fielder. So what if the little guy lacked ball-playing skills.

He simply persevered with an incredible amount of zeal, love for the game and the joy of associating with his pals.

In his short career on the ball field, Ben Patterson proved to be an inspiration for the other special needs kids on the Conway Braves club, which was born in the Patterson's backyard. Ben's perennial smile and good nature was infectious He was the poster kid in the neighborhood.

As the season began. Ben's name wasn't on the scorecard. He watched his pals from a heavenly place, a wondrous venue where the arbiter's word is unassailable.

Ben died Aug. 14, 2007. He suffered from an insidious disease with an uncommon name Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation. The disease is a progressive, genetic disease that is terminal. The kid fought it doggedly to the end.

His ball-playing mates, though, carried on. They'll always remember the spunky little guy who batted and ran the bases with as much gusto as he could muster. And when the time came when his ambulatory skills left him and he was consigned to a wheelchair, his pluck and determination remained constant as he struggled to wheel around the bases. He was a special-needs kid, yet special beyond the medical model. He refused to succumb to his illness, and even as his health deteriorated, Ben stayed upbeat, hoping to achieve a rare alchemy.

His parents, Dr. Bill Patterson, the noted Conway eye specialist, and Mrs. Patterson struggled with Ben's problems throughout his young life, believing from the start that Ben was a victim of cerebral palsy. But when the word came down that Ben's illness was terminally predictable, they refused to be defeated, fighting relentlessly to deal with Ben's problems, calling on the best medical science at hand.

Throughout their painful ordeal, the family lived with an unshakable conviction that every challenge would be met. They had resolved that their son would be treated like any other kid on the block.

And he was.

"Ben's life was a gift to us from God, and we are thankful for the almost 13 years we had him," Mrs. Patterson said. "And in his memory, we will continue the Conway Braves team as long as we are able. It is a labor of love and seeing the smiles and hearing the squeals of joy from the children make all the hard work worth it"

The Conway Braves grew out of a dream "Our field of dreams," say the Pattersons.

That dream was predicated on the family's wish to give their ailing son the opportunity to fulfill his desire to play the game he loved, even though they recognized the hazards involved. Ben was ecstatic when he was allowed to play and he played as hard as he was able and with consummate happiness.

Older brother Will recalls the first day running around the bases with Ben.

"He was happier than I'd ever seen him, which made me happy. But as his health declined the one thing that remained unchanged was his love for the game," Will Patterson said. "He knew when it was Thursday game time and you could tell it on his face. Ben was always happy to see all the kids as happy as he was."

The Braves had an unprepossessing beginning in the backyard of the Patterson home. The family, absorbed with the idea of giving Ben the advantage other kids had to engage in sports, set up a T-ball device and invited kids in the neighborhood to visit and play.

Special-needs kids responded heartily and the Braves would become a welcome entity as grown-ups got involved and business people responded to fund-raising efforts. Eventually, a league was established and the number of teams grew. The league expanded and outgrew the Patterson's yard. They moved to a field on the University of Central Arkansas campus. The Braves were now an institution.

"In 2003, when we started thinking in terms of organizing a T-ball team for special needs children, we had no idea what we were doing; we just figured things out as we went along," recalled Mrs. Patterson. "Zettie Caudle, a Conway realtor, came up with the name. She said these kids must be brave everyday of their lives. She has been an inspiration as a volunteer, and because of that we've established the 'Zettie Award' for the volunteer of the year."

A buddy system was developed, and volunteers came on board to help each child during the games. The first season began with 16 kids signed on, but only 10 to 12 players came to play in the backyard. However, the idea of a special kids league caught on, and before long sponsors donated money for uniforms and snacks. Pam McDowell Properties and First State Bank, now Centennial Bank, held cookouts, and David Moix provided trophies.

"The 2004 games were played in our backyard and we were a little more organized," Mrs. Patterson said. "We now had 18 players. Kathy Wentz became our treasurer, and Roger and Kay Taylor became our official team photographers.

The next year, the games were played on the softball fields at UCA. The league was growing. Players were assigned to four teams. At the end of the season, the kids celebrated their first banquet at Grace Methodist Church. Jackets were provided to each player and plaudits were bandied about generously.

The death of player Matthew Kelley was met with stoic sorrow in the spring of 2007. His jersey was retired and his initials and number were affixed on each jersey the kids wore. Money donated in his memory went to purchase a popcorn machine.

When Ben Patterson died in August, the league went into mourning for the kid who had been its inspiration. The season was dedicated to his memory and his initials and No. 1 appeared on the players' jerseys. His jersey was retired during the banquet at season's end, and a book of photographs in his memory was put together under the title "The Conway Braves Where Every Kid is a Winner." Ben had made a tremendous impression on his fellow Braves. In their own way, they grieved for their departed teammate.

"Ben's time here with us was limited and each year became more precious than the last," his mother declared. "We hope to soon to have a field of our very own and as I said our field of dreams."

It would commemorate the life and spirit of a special kid whose being enlivened others.