Ben’s Fund Seahawks auction to raise money for autism care

When Seahawks General Manager John Schneider and his wife Traci found out their 3-year-old son Ben had autism, everything that they had thought was a given in their son’s future suddenly shattered.

“‘Oh my gosh, what does this mean for him? What does this mean for all of us?'” Traci recalled thinking.

They figured that the diagnosis meant that Ben would never move out of the house.

“John and I always said, if he stays with us forever, that’s fine, we’ve got him, and we’ll figure that out,” she told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.

RELATED: Watch | John and Traci Schneider celebrate six years of Ben’s Fund

But 14 years later, Ben is exceeding his parents’ wildest expectations.

“As he’s getting older, it is amazing to see him mature and grow … he’s totally taking control and he’s stepping up,” Traci said.

The 17-year-old will often joke with his mother, “Mom, you’ve only got one more year to tell me what to do.” Whenever Traci jokes that Ben wants her to “make [his] dinner for [him] forever,” he proves his mother wrong by preparing his own meals.

“Just seeing what he is truly capable of doing, and what life might look like for him now that he’s 17, versus what we were thinking when he was 3 — it is amazing to see what he is capable of doing, and it’s a beautiful thing,” she said. “And it is something that you definitely don’t take for granted.”

Ben’s Fund

The Schneiders know that Ben’s success is in no small part due to the fact that they were able to hire specialists to help him with speech therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis. Because they were determined to do whatever they could to get their son the best resources, they realized the challenges an autism diagnosis could present for a family with limited means.

“We’re recognizing, ‘Holy cow, we have the ability to do this stuff, what if you don’t have the funds?'” John said. “We were going to do whatever we needed to do, like any parent.”

It was for this reason that the Schneiders, along with the Seattle Seahawks Women’s Association and in partnership with Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Washington, started Ben’s Fund in 2012, named after their oldest son.

Ben’s Fund raises money for families of a child with autism, so that they can seek out medical care and therapy without as many cost concerns. Since its foundation seven years ago, Ben’s Fund has raised $3.5 million dollars for Washington families.

If you’d like to donate to Ben’s Fund — and score some one-of-a-kind Seahawks memorabilia — you’re in luck. While the nonprofit’s upcoming annual Prime Time celebrity dinner is already sold out, its online auction will kick off Tuesday at 6 a.m. Items from former Seahawk Walter Jones, linebacker K.J. Wright, and quarterback Russell Wilson will all be up for bid.

Of course, you don’t have to bid on an item to help families offset the cost of autism treatment — you can also make a direct donation to Ben’s Fund by clicking here.

“A big part of why we talk about this and why we’re doing it … is just the awareness and the understanding,” Traci said. “And for the families that are living with autism in their household, just knowing that they’re not alone.”