Update: Ben Backes Will Come Home

On April 21, one of the first warm afternoons of spring, junior Ben Backes sustained a severe spinal cord injury from a from a cliff just beyond the trolley tracks at the end of Pleasant Point Road in Stony Creek. Branford Police determined the incident was an accident shortly after it occurred.

at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Backes was moved to Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford where he has been receiving physical therapy and rehabilitation. Backes has paralysis from the chest down but can use his hands and arms.

His aunt, Jane Frankenberger, said Backes is very positive as he makes his recovery. “He’s got a great attitude,” she said. “He’s looking forward to getting out and moving on with his life.”

In order for Backes to return home and back to school, Frankenberger explains that his family will need to adapt many aspects of their home. In addition to installing a ramp to the house, an elevator will need to be installed inside the home as well as a handicapped bathroom; the family will also need to purchase a handicap-adapted vehicle.

Frankenberger will be holding a fundraiser at the , Sunday, June 12 from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 (adult) and $20 (child).  For those who can’t make the event but want to donate, checks made out to “Ben Backes Fund” can be sent to P.O. Box 3386, Branford CT 06405.

Backes, an avid snowboarder and star soccer player, will have a long road ahead of him as he transitions from the hospital back to “normal life.” Frankenberger said her nephew is ready for this chapter of his life to start. “He’s got a lot of challenges,” she said, “and if anyone can meet those challenges, it would be Ben.”

Since the incident happened, Backes’ hospital room has been flooded with friends and loved ones. Brya Excovar, a sophomore at Branford High School and good friend to Backes, said she has been making trips every few days to visit with him.

“He tells me not to worry,” she said. “He tells me he’ll get better soon.”

Excovar has known Backes for several years and says her friend is very “outgoing.” She said he’s also very determined. “He believes that he’ll walk again,” she said, “because that’s just Ben.”

The overflow of support from friends, said Frankenberger is “quite a testimony of what a good person this young man is.”

Feeling blessed that her nephew survived the accident, Frankenberger said, “We are lucky that he’s alive and coming through this and he has a huge and very exciting life to look forward to.”

Branford High School will have two fundraisers for Ben Backes:

Bucks for Ben (pasta dinner sponsored by )
Branford High School Commons
June 9, 7 p.m.; $10
Silent auction and raffle

T-Shirt Sale
Branford High School
Stop in the high school in the next week or two to purchase a t-shirt to support Ben Backes; estimated cost of shirts is $10-$12 (they are being made now).