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Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine”

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Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine”


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.

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“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.

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“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.

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“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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A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store

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A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store


Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.

And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.

The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.

  • This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe

Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.

Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.

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Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.

  • ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million

But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.

Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.

Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

  • Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees



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Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh

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Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh


It swims in the family.

A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.

On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.

When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.

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Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.

IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.

The IFAW team placed the dolphins onto stretchers to bring them to safety. Wareham Department of Natural Resources

“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.

The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.

Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.

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The small dolphin weighed 90 lbs, with the larger one coming in at roughly 150 lbs. Wareham Department of Natural Resources
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair. IFAW

According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.

“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.



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Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute

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Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute


A 19-year-old Massachusetts man was seriously injured after he was thrown from a moving vehicle he had grabbed onto during a domestic dispute Thursday morning.

Duxbury police said they responded to a report of an injured male who might have been struck by a vehicle on Chandler Street around 5:22 a.m. and found a 19-year-old Pembroke man lying in the roadway with serious injuries.

Through interviews with witnesses, officers learned that the man had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Chandler Street to confront her current boyfriend. An altercation ensued, during which police said the 19-year-old appears to have jumped on the hood of a vehicle and was then thrown from the moving vehicle.

The incident remains under investigation, police said. At this time, they said no charges have been filed.

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