Phoenix Police Officer Ben Denham Memorial Fund

46-year-old Phoenix Police Officer and Father of 7, Ben Denham 7757 Memorial Fund

Loving Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Son and 20-year Veteran Phoenix Officer Ben Denham passed away on Wednesday, Feb 8th due to complications from a rare combination of autoimmune diseases. Officer Denham passed away on February 8th, 2023 at St Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix Arizona. Ben took his last breath at 7:06 pm while surrounded by his loving family including his spouse, 4 surviving children as well as parents and siblings. Ben is the father of 7 wonderful and talented children ranging in age from 7 to 24 years old. He is survived by his wonderful wife Debbie and 4 children Mareena 24, Elijah 18, Maleeyah 16 and Ronan 7. He was preceded in death by 3 sons; Benjamin Jr as well as twins Zachary & Matthew. Please know that 100% of any funds raised will be used towards Ben’s memorial service, substantial medical bills as well as immediate financial support for his family.

Approximately 11 years ago Officer Denham was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease “Systemic Sclerosis” which is a rare form of Scleroderma. During Ben’s battle with Scleroderma, he was also diagnosed with Polymyositis as well as Raynaud’s syndrome. In 2016 Ben experienced a significant flare-up of his diseases that caused him to be hospitalized and nearly took his life. Fortunately, by the grace of God; Ben was able to recover enough to return to be with his family and continue his commitment to public service as a Phoenix Police Officer.

Throughout his 2016 recovery, Ben knew his autoimmune diseases would continue to ravage his physical body however, he always maintained his faith in God and hope that he would be able to continue to be a loving provider for his family and community. One of his main goals was to achieve 20 years of service with the Phoenix Police Department. By achieving the 20 years Ben knew his family would be able to access pension benefits that would otherwise not be available to them should he fall short of the time.

Ben knew his progression was inevitable and a race against time ensued however, he continued his duties by faithfully serving the public and department's needs while fighting the rapid changes from his disease. He served side by side with other officers while struggling to overcome the debilitating changes in his body. Ben rarely called out and never complained about his illness. In fact, most of his coworkers never knew he was fighting for his life for the last 6 years.

For the last 6 years, Ben continued to receive monthly lifesaving treatments to help slow the progression of his diseases. Although he received monthly treatments there, unfortunately, was no cure for his autoimmune diseases. In the last year of his life, Ben’s body stopped responding to the monthly treatments. Even with the serious progression of his illness, Ben would find the strength to put on his gear and don the uniform. Towards the end of his career, Ben with the help of his wife would cover his wounds and help get him dressed each day to continue serving as was his desire. By the grace of God Ben was able to complete his goal of achieving 20 years of public service in November of 2022.

On January 4th, 2023 Ben was admitted to Banner hospital and then transferred to St. Joseph’s where he continued to have hope that he could yet again fight for another chance to support his family and the community. Sadly, the treatment options were limited due to the severity of his illness and after 1 month and 4 days under the care of medical providers, Ben passed away and returned home to be with his 3 sons who preceded him. Throughout his recent stay in the hospital, he never lost hope and he never gave up. He was loved and respected by his peers and has been awarded and recognized with numerous commendations in the line of duty.

We know many people out there are struggling and there are many individuals with needs. Thank you for taking the time to read his story and we ask that you pray for Ben’s family as well as all those in need. With God, your prayers and support, Ben knew that anything is possible. Much love to all those who serve!

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