Single super dad who adopted five kids devastated after sudden death of his son aged two – The Sun
A SINGLE super dad who adopted five kids has been left devastated after his two-year-old son died suddenly.
Little Noah tragically died on Monday – leaving dad Ben Carpenter "numb" with grief.
The super dad from Huddersfield had only just told of his joy at adopting Noah in May – with the toddler joining the family of five.
Ben today said he was devastated at the death of Noah, who lived with a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange syndrome.
He told the Huddersfield Examiner: "At 3.30 my beautiful baby boy passed away. Words cannot describe how numb I am feeling right now."
He said the death was "sudden and unexpected."
The doting dad had previously described Noah as the "most placid child" who had a "big beaming smile".
Ben is a single dad to Jack, 12, Ruby, eight, Lily, seven, and four-year-old Joseph.
Jack has autism, Ruby has complex needs, Lily is profoundly deaf and Joseph has Down's Syndrome.
Ben was given permission by a High Court judge to adopt Noah in May after the little boy's parents could not care for him.
What is Cornelia de Lange syndrome?
The rare condition causes limb abnormalities, which range from extremely small hands to complete absence of forearms, as well as slow development.
The most severely affected area of development is speech – with most never learning to speak.
Most people with the syndrome will reach an adult height of between four and five feet.
Around one in ten children with the syndrome will have an abnormality of the heart, while others suffer gastroesophageal reflux, which is when acid from the stomach flows back up into the tube which connects the mouth to the stomach.
Between one in every 40,000 and one in every 100,000 babies born have the genetic disorder.
Those who have serious and complicated abnormalities of the heart may die before they are five years old but others can live well into adulthood.
Source: CdLS Foundation UK & Ireland
The judge commended Ben for all he's done for children with disabilities.
And despite his busy household, the dad hasn't ruled out adopting a sixth child.
Ben, who became one of the youngest gay men in Yorkshire to adopt, said: "It's a lovely feeling to be honest.
"Firstly, the child is no longer a 'looked after' child – they are officially yours.
"They are no longer in the care system and they have your surname. They are part of the family unit. As a parent, that is a wonderful feeling. For the child – if they are aware – it is a feeling of security."
The dad-of-five previously appeared on ITV's This Morning and was branded "inspirational" and "remarkable" by viewers.
When asked why he wanted to adopt his children, Benjamin explained: “I only wanted to be a father."
Although he revealed the children are the best thing that ever happened to him, he admitted it’s not always easy.
He explained: “I won’t sugar coat it. It comes with stresses and strains but it’s the best thing you could ever do. I rise above any nasty comments.”
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