PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Ben Hartranft has been telling anybody and everybody to wear blue on Friday.
The 22-year-old’s coworkers at the Giant supermarket followed his lead. So did the team at Access Services, a Fort Washington-based nonprofit that helps people with special needs.
Hartranft isn’t shy about sharing his story, especially on World Autism Awareness Day. He continues to be an advocate for people with autism and their families.
“I tweeted to (Gov. Tom Wolf), had people tweet him and he responded and said he was gonna wear blue!” he enthused.
Hartranft was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2.
“A child should know 200 words. I only knew 20,” he said. “My family thought I had a hearing issue so they took me to the doctor and they thought everything was going to be OK.”
He credits Paula Barson, a speech-language pathologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, for teaching him how to talk.
“And now today, I just talk and talk and there’s no off button on me,” he joked.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 54 children is diagnosed with autism.
“No two people with autism are the same,” Hartranft explained. “It doesn’t characterize who we are. Everyone is unique and special.”
He channels his “Benergy,” as he calls it, to continue to be an advocate. He has fundraised for the Eagles Autism Challenge, and he hosts a web show through Access Services with Jamiel Owens, whose son, Shane, is also on the autism spectrum.
Three of Hartranft’s biggest advocacy thrills happened in 2018, the year his beloved Eagles won the Super Bowl. That summer, he got to hold the top prize.
“(The team) said, ‘Ben, can you come out tomorrow night and carry the Lombardi Trophy at the ring ceremony?’ And I said, ‘I’m in.’ ”
He then made a trip to Dorney Park, where he worked as an ambassador alongside a new friend, Eagles center Jason Kelce.
“We literally spent four hours in the park together riding roller coasters,” Hartrandf recalled.
And to cap off that year, he was on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where the host and former Eagle Jon Dorenbos surprised him with a $10,000 donation to the Eagles Autism Challenge.
He has done a lot and dreams of doing even more for autism awareness and acceptance, including helping people firsthand.
“If you need somebody to reach out to, please give me a call. Please email me. If you’re struggling with something, please message me. I’m there for you and we’re all in this together. Just keep fighting for your sons or daughters out there and we’ll help you get through this.”