Hamburg Eagle Scout overcomes obstacles as he heads to a bright future

Benjamin Rutkowski is not a typical teenager.

“I hate video games,” the 17-year-old Hamburg resident  said; an uncommon statement for a boy of his age.

Instead, Rutkowski,  a senior at St. Francis High School, prefers to engage in physical activities. He plays on his school’s varsity basketball team and is an active member of Boy Scouts Troop No. 400. He spent part of last summer with his fellow scouts, completing a grueling 70-mile hike throughout the mountains of New Mexico.

So for those getting to know Rutkowski, it may be surprising to learn that the young athlete has had to overcome an incredible amount of physical setbacks.

Rutkowski was diagnosed with Legg-Calves-Perthes disease when he was 7 years old. The painful disease caused him to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Growing up, Rutkowski required a lift in his shoe, a hip brace, myriad medications and even a wheelchair. He endured two surgeries on his elbow, as well as a total hip replacement when he was only 15. 

“It was a hard surgery to perform for a kid my age, Rutkowski said. The surgery was so risky that many hospitals turned Rutkowski away.

After experiencing the financial burden of hospital bills and medical equipment, Rutkowski was inspired to help others that face similar situations.

For his Eagle Scout project, Rutkowski organized a mass collection of new and gently-used medical equipment to be donated to Shriners Hospital for Children in Erie, Pa. 

Rutkowski chose Shriners because it was originally the only hospital around that was willing to perform Rutkowski’s hip surgery. 

“They wanted to help me out so badly,” Rutkowski said. “So I thought, ‘Why not help them out?”

When he originally approached Scout leaders with his idea, Rutkowski received a less-than-enthusiastic response.
They told me that organizing the collection would not work, he recalled.

Although Rutkowski set a goal to collect 200 items, an Eagle Master told him that 100 donations would be a more realistic outcome.

Yet Rutkowski has never let anyone but himself determine how far he can succeed.

He began placing flyers throughout Hamburg and other local municipalities that described his project and the drop-off location. Rutkowski never turned down a donation; he provided his own pick-up service for those who could not make the drop-off date. 

In total, Rutkowski collected 273 items of medical equipment. 

“The community came out in full force for this,” said Rutkowski’s mother, Katharine Pulkownik.

Rutkowski admitted that he was “shocked” over the amount of people who donated items. Even though the donations were eligible tax deductible, most of the contributors declined the option.

“It was a great feeling to know that people in the community care that much,” he said. 

Memorable contributions included a woman from Blasdell who donated several canes that she collected from around the world. Rutkowski’s pediatrician provided a set of crutches designed for a toddler. Other items included wheelchairs, electric scooters, bed rails, walkers and bathroom devices.

Rutkowski and his fellow scouts sanitized each item and administered repairs when needed. The boys then delivered the equipment to the Ismailia Shriners, who offered to transfer the donations to the hospital in Erie.

The Shriners were in disbelief when the scouts arrived with the 273 items. Rutkowski recalled that they ran out of room in the main building and needed to store the rest of the equipment in a nearby warehouse.

Rutkowski said that the experience helped him decide what to major in when he begins his college career in the fall. He plans to study physical education at Canisius College because he enjoys helping others and working with children.

Rutkowski wants to convey to others that it is possible to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle even with physical disabilities.

“Yes, I have a fake hip, but I am not going to use it to get out of anything,” he said. “If I had a negative attitude, I wouldn’t be able to do half of the things I am able to do.”



Hard at work
Rutkowski and fellow scouts sanitized and  repaired each piece of medical equipment before they delivered them to Shriners Hospital on Erie, Pa. In total, Rutkowski devoted 182 to his Eagle Scout project.