7-year-old chef with cerebral palsy bakes for his MUSC care team

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A 7-year-old with cerebral palsy uses his talent for baking to give back to the doctors and nurses who help care for him.

James Ace Williams, or “Chef Ace,” discovered his passion for baking and cooking while watching Gordon Ramsay.

“I saw some movies and I went to mom and asked her if I could cook,” Ace said.

Ace’s Grandmother, Sabrina Williams, recounts a similar story.

“He came to me and said, ‘Can I help?’ and I said ‘Yes,’” Sabrina said. “He started telling me the recipes, and I said ‘OK, let’s go get the stuff.’”

Since then, Ace has spent hours in the kitchen, baking anything from lasagna to cupcakes.

He often delivers his treats to his teachers, friends, doctors and nurses at MUSC, where he receives treatment.

“They say, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Ace said, describing their reaction.

Sabrina said Ace doesn’t ever write his recipes down, he simply recites them from memory.

“I just remember them,” Ace said.

She said Ace can’t always play outside with the other kids because of his disability. Cooking gives him a creative outlet and brings him joy.

“When he’s cooking, he’s happy, he talks about his big dream kitchen,” Sabrina said.

Ace said he wants a big kitchen to fit all of his cooking supplies.

“All I need is one house because every corner would have drawers and drawers and drawers,” Ace said.

Ace has big goals for the future on top of his dream kitchen. He has plans to make his mom a chocolate cake for her birthday, and his sister a peach cobbler for hers.

“When it’s my birthday, I’m not cooking,” Ace said.

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