Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Cape Day honors young patients

ATLANTA - Every year, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta celebrates Cape Day. It's all about honoring young patients who are tackling their health challenges head-on.

One of those brave heroes is thriving two years after his diagnosis of Crohn's Disease thanks in part to the team at Children's and one particular member of staff.

Ten-year-old Bennett Richardson loves to give it his all on the baseball field or the basketball court. His champion rings and trophies are proof of his hard work, but what you can't see is how hard Bennett works to show up.

(The Richardson family)

The fifth-grade student has Crohn's Disease, a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. Dr. Chathruckan Rajendra is Bennett's doctor at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He says one in about 10,000 kids are diagnosed with Crohn's in North America.

"Kids with Pediatric Crohn's Disease have some pretty significant GI symptoms - diarrhea, nausea, belly pain that can be disabling, vomiting," he said.

Bennett's mom, Laura Leigh Richardson, remembers when they received the diagnosis two years ago.

"We looked him in the eyes, and we said, 'Crohn's does not define you, you're going to define your Crohn's,'" she said.

The diagnosis meant getting Bennett into treatment, which included infusions.

"I was really scared when I got my first treatment or infusion because I had no idea what was going to happen. I was so scared I didn't want to do it at all. I wanted to just go home and not do it." Bennett recalled.

Then a pair of special helpers turned things around - a child life specialist and a facility dog.

"The relief that was on his face when Ellie and Flo showed up, it was like, we can do this. Thank you, Lord, this is a huge blessing. Let's take care of this and power through and continue to get his Crohn's into remission," Richardson said.

The pair has helped Bennett with more of his treatments along his journey.

"If you're scared like I was when I first had Crohn's, and I first met Flo and Ellie, they're just going to be, like, your hero," he said.

(The Richardson family)

"I think it's so important to have facility dogs to help kids feel less stressed, less nervous. It can be pretty anxiety-provoking for kids to come into a big facility and get therapy," Rajendra said.

Bennett has come a long way in the two years since his diagnosis. He's back on the baseball field, giving it his all and showing other kids that a diagnosis does not define you.

"If you look at him, you would never know that he was an autoimmune warrior and all of the things he has to face on a daily basis," his mom said.

"I don't like that I have Crohn's, but nobody knows, and I'm not scared of it right now," Bennett said.