Massachusetts
Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine”
![Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine” Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine”](https://cmg-cmg-tv-10020-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/CCzjn9LaoN4Zt9VlJfw8TS6RMok=/1440x810/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/TJCATS3CIRFVJM56AK4CLJS3PI.jpg)
AVON, Mass. — A 17-year-old Avon girl who has cerebral palsy and was given a 10-percent chance to live at birth was crowned prom queen in a night of dancing and fun for people with special needs.
Hannah Delorey, who is non-verbal, beamed as she strutted down the red carpet to applause Friday night at “Night to Shine 2024,” sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted locally by Grace Church in Avon.
Hundreds of volunteers helped make the event magical for the guests who enjoyed dancing, karaoke and a photo booth.
An 18-year-old boy who is a friend of the family volunteered to be Hannah’s buddy for the unforgettable evening.
“Having disabilities and being non-verbal, it’s hard for her to feel included just in society – she’s always the outcast,” Hannah’s mother, Jessie Delorey said. “To be able to go to an event catered toward her and surrounded by people like her, and have that love and understanding of the challenges she has, makes her feel amazing… She feels proud that she’s being celebrated.”
When Hannah was born, she suffered multiple seizures and 40 percent brain loss. Her mother and father were told to prepare themselves to be leaving the hospital without their daughter.
“Here we are, first-time parents, and I remember sitting in the NICU with my husband, Mitch, and I said, ‘Our life is forever changed, and our job right now is to give Hannah the best opportunities for her to live her best life, whatever that might be.’”
Hannah not only survived but has thrived beyond all odds over her 17 years. She has played adaptive baseball, joined a cheerleading squad, participated in the Special Olympics, taken a dance class and done strength training in adaptive fitness classes.
“She inspires me every single day to see how hard she works despite all her challenges,” Jessie said. “It doesn’t stop her. Her ambition and her level of life, it’s just so amazing to see her thriving.”
While Hannah’s parents have made sure she has access to and inclusion in everything she wants in life, it’s Hannah herself who has provided the most profound life lessons to the adults around her.
“Hannah has taught me what true strength and determination are,” Jessie said. “She has taught me how to truly communicate without ever speaking a word. She has taught me patience – in more ways than one – and she has taught me to find joy through the good and bad.”
Jessie says her daughter has also taught her there is a range of abilities in the world and “no one ‘right’ way of walking, talking, playing or basically doing anything.”
And Jessie believes the way her daughter leads her life proves anything is possible.
“Hannah has taught me that we should never put limits on what she can accomplish,” Jessie said. “She amazes us all the time. We don’t care what her MRI looks like or what a medical professional tells us about her future. She is incredible, resilient and amazing.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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Massachusetts
Massachusetts housing crisis takes center stage in Revere apartment condemnation
![Massachusetts housing crisis takes center stage in Revere apartment condemnation Massachusetts housing crisis takes center stage in Revere apartment condemnation](https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Reverelo02.jpg?w=1024&h=683)
The Massachusetts housing crisis is taking center stage in Revere as roughly 40 families will soon have to move out of a 13-story, oceanside apartment tower that city officials say is “moldy” and “rat-infested.”
Originally Published:
Massachusetts
Obituary for Susan E. Markley at Daniel T. Morrill Funeral Home
Massachusetts
EEE map for Massachusetts shows towns at highest risk level for mosquito-borne virus
![EEE map for Massachusetts shows towns at highest risk level for mosquito-borne virus EEE map for Massachusetts shows towns at highest risk level for mosquito-borne virus](https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/08/30/35e940c4-8b4e-47ec-a9f9-810162b3f07f/thumbnail/1200x630/bcf25e8e60ef174c332fb56046249583/eee-map.jpg?v=25685eaa472b1a5dbb5bd46ae506d232)
BOSTON – Heading into Labor Day weekend, multiple towns in Massachusetts are facing critical or high risk levels of the mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. A map published by the state’s Department of Public Health shows the EEE threat for every community in the state.
EEE cases in Massachusetts
Massachusetts on Thursday reported its second human case of EEE in a woman in her 30s. She contracted the virus in Plymouth County, before the area was aerial sprayed for mosquitos. A EEE case in a horse was also confirmed there.
Many towns around Plymouth have a EEE risk level of moderate or high, according to the map. And some towns in southern Worcester County are at a critically high risk of EEE because a man in his 80s was infected with EEE there.
Earlier this week, 41-year-old Steven Perry from Hampstead, New Hampshire – not far from the Massachusetts border – died from EEE. His family said he had no underlying health conditions but developed severe central nervous system disease and died days later.
EEE risk level in Massachusetts towns
As of Friday afternoon, these were the Massachusetts communities listed as having a moderate, high or critical EEE risk level.
Critical: Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, Webster
High: Carver, Dudley, Middleboro, Northbridge, Plymouth, Uxbridge
Moderate: Acushnet, Amesbury, Auburn, Berkley, Bridgewater, Charlton, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Grafton, Groveland, Halifax, Haverhill, Hopedale, Hudson, Kingston, Lakeville, Leicester, Mariion, Marlboro, Mattapoisett, Maynard, Mendon, Merrimac, Millbury, Milford, Millville, New Bedford, Newburyport, North Reading, Plympton, Raynham, Rochester, Salisbury, Southbridge, Sudbury, Taunton, Upton, West Newbury, Wareham, Westport
What are the symptoms of EEE?
EEE is a rare disease, but about 30% of those who get infected die, according to the CDC. Most people don’t show symptoms, but those that do can have fever or brain swelling.
Symptoms can include headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness.
To avoid mosquito bites, experts recommend using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves, staying indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are active, and draining standing water.
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