By Gari Voss
On January 16, 2025, Chief Development Officer Kim Loftus of the Borgess Allegan Foundation announced that Borgess Ascension Allegan, Borgess Lee and Borgess Pipp Hospitals were recipients of a donation of 355 stuffed animals and 130 blankets from the Eva Martin Project. The gifts will be distributed to the three hospitals.
The family has made the donations of stuffed animals and blankets their mission because of their experience when their 3 year old daughter Eva, born Nov. 9, 2019, threw the family into chaos.
As Eva’s parents described, she was an adventurous child who was determined to keep up with her older brother Lucas. “Her independence and determination to do everything her brother did, made her a fierce toddler. A force to be reckoned with, while sweet and innocent.”
On Sunday, June 4, 2023, Eva adventured into the family pool without a floatation device. She was pulled from the pool, and CPR was performed as emergency medical technicians rushed her to Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital. After 45 minutes, Eva’s heart was revived, and she was stabilized for transport to pediatric intensive care at Bronson Children’s Hospital.
The parents had rushed to the hospital and waited to learn the fate of their daughter. When they were allowed into the hospital room, they found Eva sleeping peacefully with two stuffed animals, a parrot and a multicolored fish, flanking her tiny body that was covered in a beautiful purple butterfly blanket.
This was such a comforting sight that Eva’s parents wanted to give the same gift to other children and their families. Thus, the Eva Martin Project began. Out of chaos and what could have been a terrible conclusion came a determination to collect and distribute stuffed animals and blankets that could bring warmth and a smile to another child.
The items are donated to emergency rooms and pediatric care units. The current load of items was donated to the Ascension Borgess Foundation to distribute.
Loftus shared, “The initial delivery was made to Lee, and then one day next week [the week of January 20th], the stuffed animals and blankets for Allegan and Pipp will be brought to those hospitals.
