Remembering SSG Ben Ransom
Written by Kelly Sekulovski
On October 17th, 2023 the Invictus Family lost a family member. SSG Ben Ransom passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones after a years long battle with a rare form of blood cancer, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
Ben, a combat veteran and paratrooper, served three tours in the mountains of Afghanistan as an Airborne Infantryman. Ben intended to fight leukemia the same way he fought in the war: head on. After a failed bone marrow transplant this summer, Ben’s cancer relapsed and he started ongoing treatment at UNC Chapel Hill. Because this service wasn’t connected through the Department of Veterans Affairs, most of his care had to be paid out of pocket. That’s when generous donors, friends, and his community stepped in to help Ben with the cost of his care.
Unfortunately in early October, Ben was battling an infection causing his organs to shut down which was deemed nearly impossible with him being immunocompromised. Ben made the choice to enter end-of-life hospice care. Six days later, Ben’s fight against leukemia came to an end and he was able to rest peacefully.
We learned about Ben’s story when one of his closest friends, Courtney, reached out to us. She told us that Ben was an avid CrossFitter who remotely followed Invictus Athlete, and the programming had a huge influence on his training.
On Veteran’s Day, Iron Forged Athletics located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is hosting a celebration of life workout and memorial service for Ben. Iron Forged Athletics is Ben’s home gym, where he was not only an athlete but was able to coach and mentor over 500 athletes in three years. He has made a profound impact on each athlete at Iron Forged Athletics. All are welcome to attend this event.
If you are unable to attend, but feel inclined to assist in fundraising efforts, donations can be made to the HunterSeven Foundation, whose mission is to prevent and detect cancer at its earliest stages for military veterans. You can also purchase a “RANSOM STRONG” t-shirt by emailing Ransomstrong182@gmail.com with your information. Funds from shirts will also be going to HunterSeven Foundation.
“For a man like Ben, with the heart and soul of gold, surviving the worst years of war our nation has witnessed, we can only hope and pray that there is something better that welcomed Ben on the other side.” – The HunterSeven Foundation
Rest easy, Ben. You will always be a part of the Invictus family.