A beloved member of the Sammamish community has lost his nine-month battle with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Eastlake High School alum Ben Cushing, 19, was diagnosed with hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in January, just halfway into his freshman year at Washington State University. Since then, Ben, his family members, mom Alison, dad Scott and sister Emily, devoted every day to fighting the lymphoma.

T-cell lymphoma is so rare that very little is known so far about how to treat it, and it is generally considered incurable. On Oct. 2, Ben passed away peacefully at the University of Washington Medical Center. He had spent his last few days surrounded by dozens of loving family members and friends, some of whom had traveled thousands of miles to be with him.

“There were so many people and they were all so wonderful,” Alison said. “They sang over him, they shared stories. For 48 hours, they went in and talked to him. Each one went in to say goodbye. He wasn’t coherent at the time, but I really believe he knew they were there.”

After finding out the previous Friday (Sept. 29) that Ben’s disease would be terminal, over 30 of his friends had gotten in cars and planes to travel long distances to be at his side. Many made the drive across the pass from WSU, and some flew from as far away as Mississippi, New York and Florida.

“I think he held on for all those kids who were important to him,” Alison said. “That’s our Ben in a nutshell … He cared about everybody.”

One by one, each student got the chance to go into Ben’s room and say their farewells. They sat in the hallway outside of his room holding a vigil.

“The nurses said they’d never seen anything like it,” Alison said.

For the Cushings, those 35 friends from WSU and Eastlake High School have now become a part of the family.

“I might’ve lost one brother, but I gained three,” said Emily, in reference to three of Ben’s very best friends. “They’ve always been my brothers, but now it’s official.”

Alison said that she feels like a second mother for all of Ben’s friends. She believes that having known Ben will impact their lives in a very positive way moving forward.

“Those kids are living their lives knowing that the thing he wanted most was to go back to school,” she said. “I think they were all touched by that.”

“Even the nurses were changed,” Emily added. “He touched their lives.”

The Cushings are also extremely thankful for Ben’s entire medical team, and for living just outside Seattle, a center of cutting-edge cancer research.

“The staff [at UW Medical Center and Seattle Children’s] were just incredible people,” Alison said. “Some of them are gonna be lifelong friends.”

She added, “The doctors and nurses fought just as hard [as Ben] … We had the best medical care we could possibly have.”

“So many people have to travel to get this kind of care,” Scott said, noting how much tougher fighting cancer would be for someone far away from the comforts of home and family.

Ben was lucky enough to have the help of Dr. Andrei Shustov, one of the world’s leading experts in hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. Dr. Shustov was in Italy at the time Ben found out he was terminal, but he was able to speak to him on the phone and say goodbye.

Despite being sick with cancer, Ben was able to enjoy his summer, and this was in no small part due to the help of his close-knit group of Eastlake alumni friends. He went to see the Blue Angels, and attended a Mariners game with his pals. As Alison said, he “would just power through” to live each minute to the fullest. His friends gathered in his hospital room for parties, even if it meant everyone had to wear surgical masks.

“His friends made him get through the summer,” Emily said.

Ben’s biggest motto during the past months was “for a reason.” He firmly believed that there was a reason behind his cancer diagnosis, and that reason was so that he could work to spread awareness of this rare and deadly cancer, and, in doing so, save future lives.

To accomplish this goal, Ben started the Cush it to the Limit foundation to raise money for Dr. Shustov’s research. To date, the foundation has received $118,000 through fundraising events at local restaurants, individual donations and sales of green “Livestrong”-style wristbands bearing the phrase “Cush it to the Limit.”

“Philanthropy is vitally important for rare cancers because they are often overlooked by pharmaceutical companies and national grant programs,” Cush it to the Limit’s website states. The website further notes that only about 50 people have ever been diagnosed with this type of cancer in the U.S.

Ben’s work lives on through the charity that he started. There will be a fundraiser for Cush it to the Limit from 5-9 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Klahanie Hop Jack’s in Sammamish, during which time 20 percent of all proceeds will benefit the foundation. Additionally, people can make tax-deductible donations at www.cushittothelimit.com.

“T-cell lymphoma is a lot harder [than other cancers] to get a hold of,” Alison said. “That’s why Cush it to the Limit is so important. He didn’t want anyone else to go through what he did.”

Ben’s legacy extends not only through his nonprofit work in cancer research, but also through the place he holds in the hearts of his many friends and family members. Alison said that many of Ben’s friends have already told her that they will name their firstborn sons Ben.

“I think he’s gonna change their lives in some way,” Alison said.

Ben’s Celebration of Life will take place Friday, Nov. 24. For updates on location and time, visit www.cushittothelimit.com.

Ben’s friends held parties for him in his hospital room, even when it meant wearing surgical masks. Photo courtesy of Cushing family

Ben’s motto throughout the entire nine months was “for a reason.” He believed his mission was to increase awareness for hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. Photo courtesy of Cushing family