9-year-old boy starts his own business for leukemia research

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A boy from the Houston area is making it his business to help raise funds for leukemia research. He developed a product to help cancer patients and their families. It can help anyone, including my own family! 

Nine year old Ben Mize is quite the young entrepreneur.  He came up with the idea to mix and make his own product.  "About two years ago, I was going home from school with dry and cracked hands, and I got the idea to mix lotion and soap together.  A few weeks later, I asked my mom if I could try it and she said yes," says Ben.  Then, Ben witnessed how my own family was dealing with a similar problem.  He goes to school with my sons, and we constantly have to wash our hands to keep germs away from Caleb, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia. Caleb's big brother really took the job seriously to protect his little bro.  "The doctors were always telling us we needed to not bring any germs into our home and that we don't need to spread it to him, so I just had a fear that he would be sick, and with cancer, it would be a lot worse, so I always washed my hands, so that he wouldn't get sick.  Then what?  They get all dry, and it wasn't comfortable," exclaims Zachary.

Ben was on a mission to help and started mixing soap and lotion.  At the time, he was only in the second grade, so he wanted to spell it just like it sounds.    Soap and lotion = Soshen.  He tweaked his recipe a few times and made it into the booming business it is today.  "I usually do fifty at a time, so it takes about an hour or hour and a half to make 50," explains Ben.  It comes in all types of scents like lemon, lavender, vanilla, cucumber-melon, and peppermint.  Some of them even come in orange bottles, the "leukemia fight" color.  Ben has more recently started also making sugar scrubs.  He wanted his business to be more than just a money-maker.  "Caleb was going through cancer, so I decided to donate some of my money to leukemia research," says Ben.  He's doing that through Texas Children's Hospital.  He decided to donate in increments of $500.  This is the third time he has donated for a grand total of $1500 so far.

Ben is also donating funds in honor of his friend, 13-year old Peyton, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.  "We're all very thankful for what Ben is doing to fund cancer research because childhood cancer research, especially leukemia needs to be funded, because no one really knows what it is, and so he has been such a blessing to our family," says Peyton.

When I first hear about little Ben Mize coming up with a company - I was speechless!  It's so special and important!  Every single cent counts.  It's a huge on-taking for an adult or corporation, but for this guy to to put his heart into this is really special," says Dr. Rayne Rouce from Texas Children's.  Dr. Rouce says all of those research dollars add up and do make a difference.  "Thirty years ago, we only cured 30% of children, which is way too low.  The reason we're able to have cure rates upwards to 90% is because we have the ability to do research," says Dr. Rouce.  

Now, Ben is undoubtedly soothing souls, as well as skin.  Peyton says Ben's products really help her and her family. "We love it!  We have it all over our house," she laughs.

Ben says he wants to be a businessman some day and own his own business. We reminded him, he has already lived up to his dream!  You can help support his mission by shopping at his online store:  www.sosheninc.com.