Dr. Phil Show-Links to show now added

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If he had blinding cataracts, most likely he would not have been driving. Instead, at the time he was found, he was probably legally blind and wouldn't have been able to have passed the eye test on a driver's test.

Having severe cataracts also, pretty much rules out him obtaining any large settlement for prior his injuries or he would most likely have already had the cataract surgery and paid for it himself if he had the money.
 
I say run with this thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to find someone who will sponsor him to get some ID-I mean whose to say when he discovers who he is he may not want to stay Benjaman because that is who he is right now???

Somehow either SS or the IRS should be able to do a search based on last reported wages to SS and last taxes filed and try and cross check them to see if something stands out.

Since Benjamin was found late August 2004, he never filed a tax return in 2005. Somewhere within the IRS there are red lights flashing concerning Benjamin.

I noticed he had very nice teeth, and maybe if they sent xrays to the local dentists within Indianapolis, perhaps someone would have records on him.

There has to be slew of mail being returned to the post office. Normally, when no one picks up the mail, the post office would or could sent the police to the house for a welfare check.

I wish Dr. Phil would have asked if Benjamin felt like he was married or felt as if he had children.

I felt so sad watching Benjamin especially when the other woman was telling Benjamin to create memories and how she lost 19 years of her life.

There was no comparison at all between Holly and Benjamin, because Holly has a family, her roots are there and although she lost the first 19 years of her life, Benjamin lost the first 60 years of his life, all his social security benefits and so much more then Holly.

I will look for people in Indianapolis via my myspace page and send them Benjamin's info and see if they are willing to send it off to their friends and their friends and so on.

I put info on Benjamin in my blog so should people within Indianpolis etc., see it, maybe we might get a hit. I also hope that people searching for Dr. Phil Show spots the you-tube of Dr. Phil's Show.

Again, I feel the IRS might be the way to go, but how to get them to do it, will be very difficult.
 
Somehow either SS or the IRS should be able to do a search based on last reported wages to SS and last taxes filed and try and cross check them to see if something stands out.

Since Benjamin was found late August 2004, he never filed a tax return in 2005. Somewhere within the IRS there are red lights flashing concerning Benjamin.

I noticed he had very nice teeth, and maybe if they sent xrays to the local dentists within Indianapolis, perhaps someone would have records on him.

There has to be slew of mail being returned to the post office. Normally, when no one picks up the mail, the post office would or could sent the police to the house for a welfare check.

I wish Dr. Phil would have asked if Benjamin felt like he was married or felt as if he had children.

I felt so sad watching Benjamin especially when the other woman was telling Benjamin to create memories and how she lost 19 years of her life.

There was no comparison at all between Holly and Benjamin, because Holly has a family, her roots are there and although she lost the first 19 years of her life, Benjamin lost the first 60 years of his life, all his social security benefits and so much more then Holly.

I will look for people in Indianapolis via my myspace page and send them Benjamin's info and see if they are willing to send it off to their friends and their friends and so on.

I put info on Benjamin in my blog so should people within Indianpolis etc., see it, maybe we might get a hit. I also hope that people searching for Dr. Phil Show spots the you-tube of Dr. Phil's Show.

Again, I feel the IRS might be the way to go, but how to get them to do it, will be very difficult.


That is exactly what my husband said to me as we watched the program. Having Holly share the spotlight much less, offer any suggestions to BK was beyond insensitive, IMO.

Has someone created a My Space and a You Tube Video for BK??? If only we could get one small blurb about BK on AMW, NG, Greta, GMA, The Today Show and all the entertainment evening shows.

Afterall, not everybody watches Dr. P.........
 
eek, I don't dare ask the cost but I sure hope it didn't total near the $800 figure the hospital wants for his medical records.

...snipped... I would have had less problem with it if it were not for the shocking cost of each reading....
 
angelwngs, I think it was said that his cataracts were due to overexposure having been lying in the sun for an extended period of time. I'm not sure where in this forum that info is but I'm sure I read it here somewhere.

If he had blinding cataracts, most likely he would not have been driving. Instead, at the time he was found, he was probably legally blind and wouldn't have been able to have passed the eye test on a driver's test.

Having severe cataracts also, pretty much rules out him obtaining any large settlement for prior his injuries or he would most likely have already had the cataract surgery and paid for it himself if he had the money.
 
eek, I don't dare ask the cost but I sure hope it didn't total near the $800 figure the hospital wants for his medical records.

I see where you are going?, :blowkiss:. The readings were done prior to the request for the records...Benjaman has no money of his own because he cannot legally work, so he relies on friends, family and complete strangers for sustenance. He is a pretty upright soul, and this has to burn even though he would not complain.
 
angelwngs, I think it was said that his cataracts were due to overexposure having been lying in the sun for an extended period of time. I'm not sure where in this forum that info is but I'm sure I read it here somewhere.

When I first hit the case, we were split 50/50 on whether or not the cataracts were related to lying with his eyes open after the assault. It would be extremely unusual to say the least.

IIRC, cataracts of that type are usually formed over time due to exposure to water and sunlight or perhaps snow reflection and sun light. They can be accelerated by alcohol or drug abuse. The last time BK and I had a discussion regarding this he indicated he had spoken to a physician who said it was possible for them to have formed quickly. Everyone we contacted in the medical field regarding this, and mind you they did not have him in front of him, did not believe it was possible.

My working theory has always been that he could not recognize himself because his field of vision had been closing down for years-so combined with the amnesia it created more confusion...this is just my opinion, mind you and I am not a medical professional.
 
Oh, that is an interesting idea. You may have something there!

(:bang:sorry for not going back and checking on the info I was attempting to spout, lol... I knew I had read the sun exposure thing but didn't realize it was not black & white fact.)

snipped

My working theory has always been that he could not recognize himself because his field of vision had been closing down for years-so combined with the amnesia it created more confusion...this is just my opinion, mind you and I am not a medical professional.
 
In the comments for the show, someone mentioned that they thought BK may be Jewish. Is there any thoughts out here on that perspective? (I ask because some of his features do resemble a Jewish relative I have.) This is not meant to be biased on my part, I am curious as to what others think.
 
You know, all things considered, I think it's pretty amazing that he recieved the cataract surgery at all. I hadn't thought about that much before but considering the brush off he was given early on with the police jumping to the conclusion he wasn't worth even a look in the dumpster for his clothing...

And just when I think I have a handle on thinking it all thru (what little "it all" is), I'm left scratching my head again. Pattyg's post above re: ss & the irs, etc... had me thinking a bit... and now I'm left with the screaming in my head "why isn't someone somewhere looking for this man?!" Whether it be the irs or a wife or a brother or a cousin or a boss or an employee or a child... I just have to think that someone somewhere has been looking and paths have been crossed but at the wrong times or something. Of course, they're probably not looking for "Benjaman Kyle". And along with others who've mentioned it here, I'm shocked that people in the area/state in which he was found are not more aware of his story but it does explain why others further from the area/state haven't been aware. And that is frustrating.

Eh, my head-scratching rant is over... I feel myself going in a circle already. :shrug:
 
...Again, I feel the IRS might be the way to go, but how to get them to do it, will be very difficult.

I know someone who works for the IRS. Hopefully, I won't forget to ask her Sunday. :chicken:
 
When I first hit the case, we were split 50/50 on whether or not the cataracts were related to lying with his eyes open after the assault. It would be extremely unusual to say the least.

IIRC, cataracts of that type are usually formed over time due to exposure to water and sunlight or perhaps snow reflection and sun light. They can be accelerated by alcohol or drug abuse. The last time BK and I had a discussion regarding this he indicated he had spoken to a physician who said it was possible for them to have formed quickly. Everyone we contacted in the medical field regarding this, and mind you they did not have him in front of him, did not believe it was possible.

My working theory has always been that he could not recognize himself because his field of vision had been closing down for years-so combined with the amnesia it created more confusion...this is just my opinion, mind you and I am not a medical professional.

Wow, that definitely seems to make sense to me in a logical common-sense sort of way... if he had the cataracts for awhile of course he wouldn't realize how much he had aged. Because he was legally blind!

Great thought.

Maybe we do need to be looking for people who are listed with a disability.
 
A person his age would not develop bilateral cataracts and not have them operated on. No one lives with cataracts in this day and time!! My DOG just had surgery for them and he's 11 years old!! My father, and he's in his 80's. Let's get real about a 55 year old man walking around blind. It just doesn't happen when there is a quick and safe surgical cure. If he had a job, he could have financed the operation if he didn't have the money or insurance. If he was unemployed, the gov't would have paid for it through their insurance plan for poor people. Medicare, Medicaid, I'm not sure of the name.

It is my honest and very strong opinion that the damage to Ben's corneas was a direct result of exposure to the elements. He could have been unconscious BEFORE he ended up behind the dumpster, beaten.
IOW, he could have had more than one incident of incapacitation within a short period of time. We just don't know. Apparently, neither does the Ophthalmologist who removed the cataracts. HE or SHE would be the definitive source to answer the question because HE or SHE is the one who actually saw the cataracts.

Cataracts definitely can be caused by sun, wind and sand damage to the corneas when the blink reflex is diminished or absent. The only time we can't blink is when we are unconscious or when our eyelids are forcibly prevented from blinking.

I am wondering if maybe Ben was held captive for a while and tortured and beaten, then dumped at the Burger King. The torture, if professional and sadistic enough, definitely could have been something along the lines of taping his mouth closed and his eyes open.
 
Posted on the theories thread also -

Cataract development is usually a very gradual process of normal aging but can occasionally occur rapidly.
Rarely, cataracts can present at birth or in early childhood as a result of hereditary enzyme defects, and severe trauma to the eye, eye surgery, or intraocular inflammation can also cause cataracts to occur earlier in life. Other factors that may lead to development of cataracts at an earlier age include excessive ultraviolet-light exposure, diabetes, smoking, or the use of certain medications, such as oral, topical, or inhaled steroids. Other medications that are more weakly associated with cataracts include the long-term use of statins and phenothiazines.
There is an even more specific change that occasionally happens, when the opacity develops immediately next to the lens capsule, either by the anterior, or more commonly the posterior, portion of the capsule; these are called subcapsular cataracts. Unlike most cataracts, posterior subcapsular cataracts can develop rather quickly and affect vision more suddenly than either nuclear or cortical cataracts.
• The closer people live to the equator the greater the chance for cataracts. As suggested by a study in Southern France, sunlight exposure in these climates also increases the risk for severe cortical or mixed cataracts. In this study, even wearing sunglasses did not reduce the risk for these cataracts, although it did for posterior subcapsular cataracts.
• People whose jobs expose them to sunlight for prolonged periods are at higher risk. People in Southern climates whose occupations, such as fishing or oyster farming, exposed them to very intense sunlight were at high risk for all cataracts, including posterior subcapsular cataracts. (People in more Northern climates with similar occupations may not have as high a risk.)
• Occupational exposure to very intense artificial light, such as arc welding, increases the risk for cataracts.
Long-term environmental lead exposure may increase the risk of developing cataracts
Smoking
Heavy alcohol usage
Other conditions that can trigger the process leading to cataracts include:
• Physical injury to the eye (such as a hard blow, cut, or puncture)
• Chemical burns
• Electrical shock injuries
• Chronic exposure to intense heat or cold
Exposure to cosmic radiation (airline pilots, astronauts)
 
Not that it's important, but I have read that cataracts can also be from exposure to the "tanner" rays. Which is addressed in the "artificial light" category that Tracie 5 posted. Also, Tracie posted that electrical shock injuries could cause cataracts to form.

Do you all think that being an electrician could explain the cataracts?
 
Well, I think that it can happen to anyone! My grandpa was from MI his whole life......never smoked....never worked in the sun but he still hat cataracts bad enough that he had to have surgery.
 
Not that it's important, but I have read that cataracts can also be from exposure to the "tanner" rays. Which is addressed in the "artificial light" category that Tracie 5 posted. Also, Tracie posted that electrical shock injuries could cause cataracts to form.

Do you all think that being an electrician could explain the cataracts?

Possibly but I tend to agree with the individual who said that if this man had a job (as people suspect) he would have received surgery to fix his increasing problem before it left him blind. If he was traveling to see the ocean surely he would spend the money on fixing his eyesight so he could see the ocean when he got there.

I would think that there would be some answers in the reports (police, medical, emergency responders, eye surgery, etc.) that might shed some light on the situation. It is difficult to try and get answers when so little of what is known has actually been released.
 
Well, I think that it can happen to anyone! My grandpa was from MI his whole life......never smoked....never worked in the sun but he still hat cataracts bad enough that he had to have surgery.

Do you know if it is normal for a 50-60 year old to develop them? And also how long it takes them to get to the point of them being blinding if not removed?
 
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