‘MasterChef Jr.’ Star Ben Watkins Dead at 14

Ben Watkins, a teenager who competed on the cooking show MasterChef Jr., has died after a battle with cancer, according to TMZ. He was only 14.

TMZ wrote, “[Watkins] was diagnosed with a soft tissue tumor when he was only 13 years old, and the family says doctors told them Ben was 1 of only 6 people in the entire world diagnosed with the rare illness called Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma.” He died on Monday.

Sadly, Watkins lost his parents three years ago in a murder-suicide.

Here’s what you need to know:

Watkins Was Undergoing Treatment in Chicago

According to the Kenosha News, Watkins was undergoing chemotherapy at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago at the time of his death.

The teen’s maternal grandmother, Donna Edwards, told the outlet, “Our Ben went home to be with his mother Monday afternoon after a year-and-a-half battle with cancer… Ben was and will always be the strongest person we’ve known.”

In July, The Grio reported that in the aftermath of his parents’ passing, Ben’s fans and friends came together to raise $30,000 through GoFundMe for his “future endeavors.”

The GoFundMe, which has since been transformed into a memorial fund called “#Love4Ben Memorial Fund”, has raised $190,435 as of November 17.

A November 17 update on the page from the family of Ben Watkins reads, “Our Ben went home to be with his mother Monday afternoon after a year-and-a-half-long battle with Cancer. After losing both of his parents in September 2017, we have marveled at Ben’s strength, courage and love for life. He never, ever complained. Ben was and will always be the strongest person we know. When Ben’s rare illness was shared with the world, he was so heartened by the outpouring of love he received from every corner of the globe- especially here in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. We cannot thank this community enough for holding our family up in prayer and for all that you’ve done.”

The message continued, “Ben suffered more than his share in his fourteen years on Earth but we take solace in that his suffering is finally over and in that, in the end, Ben knew he was loved by so many.”

Watkins’ Parents Died in a Murder-Suicide in 2017

On September 16, 2017, Watkins’ father, Michael, shot and killed his mother, Leila Edwards, and subsequently took his own life, according to the Chicago Tribune. Ben turned 11 four days after his parents’ death.

Watkins’ grandmother, Donna, and her younger brother, Anthony, told the Chicago Tribune that “they saw no warning signs and don’t know exactly what caused [Michael] Watkins to do what he did.”

Donna shared with the outlet, “Sometimes it’s better not to know.”

Anthony Edwards added, “It’s been an obvious adjustment for Ben, but he’s doing well, considering everything… We take it one day at a time.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Watkins kept himself busy with extracurricular activities, such as spell bowl, math bowl, and chess club. He also volunteered to help rebuild broken bicycles for those in need.

His favorite subjects were math and science, and he hoped to one day work as an angineer.

Watkins told The Chicago Tribune of his engineering aspirations, “It’s more reliable than being a chef.”

This post will be updated with more information as it becomes available. 

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