Local residents have collected toys to donate to Dell Children’s Hospital in memory of 10-week-old Benjamin Spencer, who died last month after allegedly sustaining injuries at a Kyle day care. (Photo by Jen Biundo)
by JENNIFER BIUNDO
The death of ten-week-old Benjamin Spencer sent shock waves of grief and disbelief reverberating around the community. The infant passed away at Dell Children’s Hospital on Thanksgiving Day, one week after allegedly sustaining injuries at a Kyle home daycare.
Now, a group of area residents are banding together to organize a toy drive in Benjamin’s name, in hopes of bringing a small measure of comfort to his grieving family.
“We called after the incident and tried to figure out what we could do for the family,” said Teresa Tobias, who is coordinating the toy drive. “They said they didn’t want anything for themselves, they just wanted something positive attached to their son’s name instead of this horrible crime.”
Benjamin’s father, Duane “Dee” Spencer, is the head director of bands at Simon Middle School. He and his wife Robin also have a three-year-old daughter.
The organizers set up collection boxes at the Simon, Hemphill, Tobias, Camino Real and Lehman campuses. Students, teachers and community members responded by donating about 100 toys, as well as $100 in cash to purchase new toys.
This week, Tobias and other participants will deliver the toys to Dell Children’s Hospital, and the Spencer family will receive a letter from the hospital commemorating the memorial toy drive.
Tobias, who has a four-month-old daughter, said the horrific nature of the crime that allegedly led to Benjamin’s death makes his passing even harder to cope with.
“It chokes me up to even think about it,” Tobias said.
The infant was rushed to the Hospital on Nov. 18 with severe head and chest injuries. His daycare provider, Christiana Lyons, 32, told authorities that Benjamin fell off a 24-inch high sofa and landed on a hardwood floor. However, police say they don’t believe the fall could have resulted in fatal trauma.
Lyons remains in the Hays County jail on a $500,000 bond. She currently faces first degree felony charges of injury to a child, though the district attorney’s office has said that may be upgraded to manslaughter or murder charges.
