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(CNN) – After a year of battling a rare form of cancer, former “MasterChef Junior” star Ben Watkins passed away this week at the age of 14, his family said.
The young chef died Monday from angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, a soft tissue tumor that usually occurs in children and young adults. He was diagnosed with the disease shortly after his 13th birthday.
Watkins, of Gary, Indiana, lost his parents in a homicide-suicide in 2017, according to the Chicago Tribune. He told the paper he wanted to become a professional chef and one day open his own restaurant, like his father.
“After losing both parents in September 2017, we marveled at Ben’s strength, courage and love for life,” said Donna Edwards and Anthony Edwards, Watkins’ maternal grandmother and uncle, in a joint statement. posted on a GoFundMe page. called “# Love4Ben”.
“He never complained. Ben was and will always be the strongest person we know.
“When Ben’s rare disease was shared with the world, he was very encouraged by the outpouring of love he received from all corners of the world, especially here in his hometown of Gary, Indiana,” added the family in their statement. “Ben has suffered more than his share in his fourteen years on this Earth, but it comforts us to know that his suffering is finally over and that, in the end, Ben knew that many loved him.”
Ben Watkins, a fan favorite
Watkins, a fan favorite in “MasterChef Junior”, entered the top 18 when he competed in 2018 in the show’s sixth season at the age of 11.
At his father’s restaurant, Big Ben’s Bodacious Barbecue & Deli, Watkins used to help out taking orders, working on the registry office and even selling his homemade treats: cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies and banana bread. he told the Tribune in 2017.
The Fox show posted a tribute to Watkins on its Instagram page.
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Ben Watkins, a beloved member of the MasterChef Junior family,” wrote the show in its post. Ben has gone through many things in his life with a remarkably positive attitude. He was a great role model for chefs of all ages.
Even famous chef Gordon Ramsay, host of “MasterChef Junior”, mourned the death of Watkins, whom he called an “incredibly talented home cook and an even stronger young man”.
“There have been many difficult turning points in your young life, but you have always persevered,” wrote Ramsay on Twitter. “I send all my love to the Ben Watkins family for this terrible loss.”
Watkins’ GoFundMe page was originally intended to support him and his family after his parents died in 2017. Now, the money will go to pay for pending medical bills, said Trent A. McCain, the family’s attorney. .
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