Evansville Thunderbolts spread joy to patients at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital
EVANSVILLE, IND. – In a heartwarming gesture of community outreach, players from the Evansville Thunderbolts made a memorable visit to Peyton Manning Hospital (PMCH), bringing smiles and joy to the faces of some of our youngest patients.
Players took time out of their busy schedules to share smiles, sign autographs, and perk up the spirits of the brave children currently hospitalized. The visit aimed not only to uplift the spirits of the young patients but also to create lasting memories for them during challenging times.
Ru Woolfork (11) is one of the children they visited. Ru is currently in the hospital being treated for issues related to her sickle cell disease diagnosis. Her father, Travis Fraiser, says she has been hospitalized at least once a year since she was diagnosed as a baby.
Ru and the players spent time decorating a model airplane, talking about school, helping her name her stuffed animal, and even letting her paint their nails.
Fraiser says, “As a parent seeing your child in this type of environment and knowing there is not much you can do for them, being able to uplift them is one of the highlights of your day. If the only thing you can do is uplift them and put a smile on their face, then it’s a win for me and those
guys put a smile on her face.†This is the first time the Evansville Thunderbolts have made a hospital visit and we are hopeful to bring them back soon.
“It’s awesome. I mean, we were all rocking some pretty nice nail polish here and, you know, a small price to pay to put a smile on a kid’s face like that. “
00:08:17-00:18:17- Kenny Britton #24, Left Winger “It’s awesome to be able to come in for a few hours and just hang out with them. It’s the brightest part of our day as well. So if we’re able to do that a little bit, it’s all worth it.â€
“Well, I mean, I’m just trying to make her feel good. And plus she’s an amazing nail painter, so I’ll be rocking a bedazzled finger this weekend against Birmingham, so I’ll be looking out for it, you know?â€
“It made me feel better. Like I felt a little bit better and, it was like, a surprise. And it was really fun. Like painting their nails and doing crafts with them. “
“It was awesome. Just to bring that hope here, to put that smile with her face at a time like this and even at a time like this for a parent it was awesome. I couldn’t be more thankful for what
those guys, those young men came in here and did today. You became really good today. It was a blessing, it was very awesome. Appreciate it.â€
