Glastonbury boy shares handmade hearts to help kids with grief

[Music] a 10-year-old from glassenberry is using his sewing machine to touch hearts in just an incredible way we told you about this recently as part of our morning bright spot our special guest Ben Macintosh in studio with his mom creating what I imagine Ben is hundreds of these incredible Hearts good morning good morning it is nice to have you mom nice to have you as well Ben my buddy super Jack who our show knows well sent me a pair of these hearts and an incredible story behind it but for fo

lks who don't know what are you doing here what's this all about well this is for if you have like a grandparent that lives far away or like a parent in the military you can keep one of the hearts and the um you can give one to the person that's not near you and you can feel connected I think that is so wonderful and what is your hope for somebody when they receive one of these what do you want them to know I want them to know that maybe if like if they feel like they have like they're like real

ly anxious like they can't really always like see somebody that they really like they're really they feel really connected to and they get really sad because of it I want them to feel like they're may be like feel happy like be like now I can feel connected like I don't have to be sad anymore and you were such a brave young man because you did this after you lost your little brother yes what has that meant to you I just I I think it's a really good thing to do things for like um to help um with

that with um with like loss and stuff and mom talk about the book so what this goes with a book right and and how do you know about the book and how did the hearts go along with the book the book I found out about when he died um because Mom mom had gotten a bunch of books and that was one of them and the it shows in the book it has like different it shows people's hearts and it shows that they're connected with like an invisible string and I think that is just so wonderful mom Ben is 10 years o

ld selling these Hearts to raise money for not only buttonball Elementary where he goes to school but also the hospital that treated your family during such a difficult time speak to me as a mom to see a 10-year-old raise $2500 already as part of this effort so Ben is just a special Soul um from the age of nearly four when his brother died he helped guide me in in my grief and my um my journey along the way and so seeing how he continues to just be such an empathetic caring loving kiddo and want

ing to give back um so helping people through the actual project but then also saying I wanted to be a fundraiser and I want it to go towards um like at the hospital we didn't have books accessible to us so we donate books for families that are going through the same sort of loss as us so being able to raise money to make donations to the hospital and help other kiddos like him and Ben I was just telling you people were stopping me at the St Patrick's Day Parade on the side of the parade route t

alking about you they know about your community effort you're getting all kinds of mail uh this woman Nancy wrote in you make me feel so happy as you share your talents to help others never change what has it been like for you to hear from people who are benefiting directly from your kindness well I thought I think it's really um it's really great cuz I like hearing how other people like how they think of it and how like if like oh maybe like maybe you should do this because this is like a littl

e off or like something to hear from them to make um and it feels it feels good just to see like like the um never change like your your Project's amazing and we talk almost every day on this show about people using their talents to do good we're seeing video right there you are making these all on the sewing machine what has that process been like for you it has been really fun cuz I like using the sewing machine it is um cuz I also like like history like we have this one right there yeah um th

at is I think 7 years yeah 70ish years old it is wonderful we are so proud of you and so grateful you're here Mom quickly if folks want to find you they can connect with you on social media I'll tweet the information as well put it up on Instagram and before we go do you want to say good morning to your school or class today good morning buttonball well done some great work happening at buttonball listen we are so proud of you stay in touch and let us know how this unfolds okay you get a high fi

ve on the couch this morning Mom thanks for being here thank you all right