The SouthCoast Made This New Bedford Dad Hopeful [HOLIDAY WISH]

Fun 107 and the United Way of Greater New Bedford have been working hard all week long for Holiday Wish week, and today it comes to a close with the Morales family. Benny and Benny Jr. from New Bedford captivated the hearts of the SouthCoast this morning, ending Holiday Wish 2020 on a high note.

Benicio, at 21 years old, was shot in the back seven times in a case of mistaken identity. While he was rushed to the hospital, his girlfriend was complaining of stomach pains, and it was revealed that she was actually pregnant. This gave Benicio the strength to pull through, but unfortunately, he was paralyzed from the chest down and has been in a wheelchair ever since. His girlfriend, Benny Jr.'s mother, left because she couldn’t handle Benicio’s disability.

Fast-forward to now, and Benicio and his son are living in a New Bedford apartment that is not wheelchair accessible. He can’t even fit his wheelchair into the bathroom, so he is unable to shower or use the bathroom properly. On top of all this, they are also behind on rent. All Benicio wants is for his son to be happy, while Little Benny is always worrying about his father’s health.

There were a plethora of people who wanted to help Benicio and Benny this Christmas, and end this year’s Holiday Wish week with a joyful conclusion:

Primacare, Mosquito Squad, and Araujo Brothers Plumbing and Heating each donated $500 to the Morales family.

Donna from Acushnet Creamery decided to take part in a Seize the Deal opportunity, where all of the sales from the half-off gift card would go straight to Benny and his son.

Then, Dave Bernette, a long time listener of Fun 107, called in to donate $1,500 to go towards rent and decided to help the Morales family find a handicapped-accessible apartment.

Jill Fearons, our friend from the Friends of Jack Foundation, decided to make Benny Jr.'s wish come true, and will be donating a Playstation 5.

Michael, Maddie, and Gazelle are blown away by the SouthCoast community and their contributions to the deserving families all week long. We can't wait to do it again next year.

If you weren't able to call in today, there is still time to donate, and here's how:

Text to Donate: Text WISHES to 313131. You will be sent a United Way e-link that allows you to make a donation via credit card to this family when you select the day and date of which family you wish to help from the drop-down menu.

By Check: Make checks payable to the United Way of Greater New Bedford and in the memo line, write HOLIDAY WISH and the day and date of the family you wish to help. Checks can be mailed to United Way of Greater New Bedford, 128 Union Street, Suite 105, New Bedford, MA 02740.

Donate by Credit Card: You can make a secure donation to the United Way via credit card HERE. Select the day and date of the family you wish to help from the "Please Select a Family" drop-down menu.

All of our families are pre-selected through the United Way of Greater New Bedford. If you are in need of assistance, please contact the United Way directly.