Indiana

Indiana 9-year-old gives the gift of companionship to adults with dementia

Published

2 years ago

July 21, 2024

Indiana 9-year-old gives the gift of companionship to adults with dementia

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A nine-year-old from Indiana is making sure patients in long-term care facilities do not feel alone.

An elderly woman is wheeled into a room and greeted by two smiling faces asking a simple question: “We would like for you to adopt an animal today. What are you thinking?”

But they are not talking about a real pet. They are talking about realistic stuffed animals that can breathe, bark, meow, and even move.

“I have so much joy from this. I love it so much,” Evelyn Hill, a nine-year-old girl, says with a grin. She created the non-profit Evelyn’s Blessings to bring comfort to the elderly.

The idea came after multiple trips to Evelyn’s “poppy” at a long-term care facility that takes care of dementia patients. Evelyn and her mom Jennifer noticed many residents didn’t get any visitors, so they found a way to bring companionship to them.

“He is still I don’t have to chase him, clean up after him, or feed him, so what better could you have?” Resident JoAnne explained as she petted her stuffed dog.

Evelyn believes each pet removes the loneliness residents may be experiencing and replaces it with joy. Her favorite part is their surprise.

”It’s nice when I see them come into the room and they don’t know what’s going on and then I show them why they are here. After, they are so happy,” Evelyn said.

This nine-year-old’s generosity is also helping her reach milestones. Her mom says she’s the youngest non-profit holder in the state of Indiana.

”I tell her all the time that she’s the little girl I wished I could’ve been when I was younger,” Jennifer Hill, Evelyn’s Mom, said. “Just seeing the drive and compassion she has for the elderly is just unmatched.”

The goal is to visit as many long-term care facilities as possible, so can even more residents feel Evelyn’s heart through Evelyn’s blessing.

To learn how you can support the non-profit, visit their website.

Source link

Related Topics:eldery Featured Pets plush senior stuffed animal

Click to comment

Indiana

Highlights: Anderson vs. Greenfield-Central; Boys basketball sectional semifinals

Published

2 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Highlights: Anderson vs. Greenfield-Central; Boys basketball sectional semifinals

GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — “The Zone” featured highlights from 10 high school boys basketball sectional semifinal games from across central Indiana on Friday.

Watch highlights of Anderson vs. Greenfield-Central above.

Final Score: Greenfield-Central 71 Anderson 52

Click here to watch highlights from all 10 sectional semifinal games on The Zone.

Greenfield-Central will play Mt. Vernon on Saturday in the sectional championship.

Source link

Indiana

Former Colt Ryan Kelly announces retirement

Published

14 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Former Colt Ryan Kelly announces retirement

(WISH) — Former Colts center Ryan Kelly announced his retirement from the NFL.

“10 seasons,” Kelly wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “What an incredible ride it was. I was blessed to be around some of the greatest people this sport has to offer. I always wanted to leave each place better than how I found it and with that I can hang my hat. Forever grateful for my family and brothers!”

Kelly was with the Colts for nine seasons, from 2016-2024. He was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Colts, and made the All-Pro Second Team in 2020. Kelly was a captain for his last two seasons with the Colts in 2023 and 2024.

Kelly was drafted by the Colts in the first round in 2016. He played all but one of his 10 seasons in the NFL in Indianapolis, playing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.

Source link

Indiana

Valparaiso 63-62 Indiana State (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Valparaiso 63-62 Indiana State (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

ST. LOUIS — — Rakim Chaney had 18 points in Valparaiso’s 63-62 win over Indiana State on Thursday in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

Chaney added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Beacons (18-14). JT Pettigrew added 14 points while going 5 of 8 and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line while they also had seven rebounds. Brody Whitaker finished with 10 points.

Camp Wagner led the Sycamores (11-21) in scoring, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Indiana State also got 12 points and three blocks from Ian Scott. Enel St. Bernard finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four steals. The loss was the Sycamores’ seventh in a row.

Chaney scored nine points in the first half and Valparaiso went into halftime trailing 37-28. After trailing by nine points in the second half, Valparaiso went on a 7-0 run to narrow the score to 37-35 with 17:11 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Pettigrew scored 12 second-half points.

——

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Source link