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Health & Fitness

Industrious Police Officer Reinvents Himself As An Entrepreneur To Aid His Young Son

Officer Ben Grum is only 28 year's old, yet has lived more in those 28 year's than many one and a half times his age.

 Having grown up in nearby Lake Bluff, Ben learned the meaning of earning a dollar at a young age and his excellent work ethic and passion for being versatile at just about any trade has ultimately been his saving grace, not knowing what he would eventually encounter "later" in life.

 Currently based in Libertyville with wife Vanessa and son Ryland, the Grums are like just about any other family in the area, except for one caveat: Their toddler Ryland has already had two open heart surgeries at Lurie Children's Hospital (formerly Children's Memorial Hospital), due to Ryland's being born with Tricuspid Atresia, a form of congenital heart disease, whereby there is a complete absence of the Tricuspid valve. Therefore, there is an absence of right atrioventricular connection. This leads to a hypoplastic (undersized) or absent right ventricle. This defect is contracted during prenatal development, when the heart does not finish developing. It causes the heart to be unable to properly oxygenate the rest of the blood in the body. Because of this, the body does not have enough oxygen to live, and steps must be taken to keep the child alive. Because of the lack of an A-V connection, an atrial septal defect (ASD) must be present to maintain blood flow. Also, since there is a lack of a right ventricle there must be a way to pump blood into the pulmonary arteries, and this is accomplished by a ventricular septal defect (VSD).

 Inevitably, Ben and Vanessa's son Ryland will need a third open heart surgery, a major procedure they'll ultimately need to brace for, while hoping and praying for the best. In spite of his health challenges,Ryland has been doing well after his first surgery. He is enjoying attending Lake Forest Montessori School. He enjoys playing with his blocks and trains and trips to the park. Ben's wife Vanessa works for the Deerfield School District where she teaches Spanish to 1st through 5th graders at Wilmont Elementary.

 Although Ben's a Lake Forest Police Officer, having been one for 7 year's now, with the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, especially major procedure's like open heart surgery, taking on a third procedure this vital can be daunting, particularly for a couple still in their twenties. So Ben decided to apply the skills he picked up watching and assisting his Dad growing up and that he's honed through the year's by starting his own business: Silver Star Home Services.

 Family owned and operated for 5 year's, Ben has fast become known for his friendly, reliable service, fair and reasonable prices and versatility. There's practically no job Silver Services can't do and if there's any task they don't specialize in, Ben's network is so vast, he'll locate another contractor within minutes who he can pull in from his network.

 Silver Star specializes in Snow Plowing for both residential and commercial, minor home maintenance, gutter cleaning and his House Watching when families or individuals are on vacation or out of town is by far the best deal in Lake County and the North Shore and better than a home security system. For example: Ben charges only $25 per visit. For that $25 dollars, Ben will check the house, basement, security system, front and back yard, garage, the whole gamut. Having an off-duty Police Officer with Ben's qualifications and character is a great deal at any cost, but at $25 for the peace of mind, it's a no-brainer.

 During the Spring and Summer month's Ben's second company, Hop Till You Drop Moonwalking Rentals, provide assorted Bouncy apparatus for children's parties that have proven to be very popular in the region-again at fair, reasonable, great prices.

 This winter, do you and your family or business a favor and contact Officer Ben for all your snow plowing needs, knowing that you can rest easy knowing his reliable team that includes his brother, will arrive without fail to clear your family's snow.

 Even better, when you hire Officer Ben to take care of your snow plowing this season, you'll be getting a major need met, while contributing some good Karma to a wonderful child and family who will appreciate your contribution for Ben's snow plowing services, in order to take care of their son's next open heart surgery. A win-win/feel good any way you look at it. To contact Ben and Silver Star Home Services directly, please call: 847-875-8759-You'll be glad you did.  

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