A Burlington man is determined to earn his Masters from his hospital bed

Working towards a Masters degree is challenging but doing it from a hospital and without the use of your hands and legs is a whole other ball game.

66 year old Paul Benson is a patient at Joseph Brant hospital in Burlington, and one of the first in its new tower. he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 25. In April the disease nearly took his life.

“I feel like I’ve been given extra time, and now there’s work to be done to complete my life’s mission.”

After a career in I.T. his goal now is to complete his Masters degree in education next spring. He uses the little mobility he has in his hand to click on the screen and reflective tape on his glasses allows him to move the mouse by moving his head.

Benson is one of the first patients in the new Michael Lee-Chin tower at Joseph Brant hospital. Today Premier Kathleen Wynne took a tour of the facility for the grand opening and had a chance to speak with Benson.