Grandson Ben celebrated his 12th birthday this week, and I was so glad I was able to make the trip last weekend to watch him play in a soccer match and to celebrate early with him.

Ben does not remember anything at all about his health problems as a young child. When he was only 3, he was diagnosed with an arteriovenous fistula (a vascular abnormality) in his brain. It was a life-threatening condition, and he had two brain surgeries at the age of 4 and another surgery the following year, all done by the world-renowned New York doctor, Dr. Alex Berenstein, who developed the procedure for repairing AV fistulas in children. Ben was declared cured and has grown into a fine young man who excels academically, plays sports, and volunteers in his community.

This Spring he chose to play soccer rather than baseball, and I was able to watch…