Impact Stories
Ascension Borgess Foundation
Eva Martin Project brings comfort to young patients at rural Borgess hospitals
In June 2023, Rick and Rebekah Martin experienced the unthinkable when their 3-1/2-year-old daughter Eva accidentally drowned in the family pool.
In their rush to the hospital for emergency care, Rick and Rebekah didn’t have a chance to bring along Eva’s favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
“When we were able to see Eva, she laid under a butterfly blanket alongside two stuffed animals,” Rick says. “Eva absolutely loved butterflies. Someone had taken the time to offer comfort items to Eva. Those items also helped comfort us and came to have great meaning. They were the last items in Eva’s possession.”
Rick and Rebekah turned their grief into heartfelt giving when they established The Eva Martin Project. Since its inception in August 2023, the Baroda-based nonprofit has donated more than 3,300 stuffed animals and 1,200 blankets to children’s hospitals, pediatric departments and emergency rooms across southwest Michigan.
In January, the Eva Martin Project made a generous gift of more than $3,000-worth of blankets and stuffed animals to Ascension Borgess-Lee Hospital. The hospital has shared the donated items with Borgess Allegan, Borgess-Pipp, Woodbridge Hills and the Borgess Hospital Emergency Department.
Jessica Albar, MSN, RN, CEN, CLSSBB, Regional Director of Nursing for Ascension Borgess-Lee, Borgess Allegan, and Borgess-Pipp Hospitals, says the donation has touched many young patients and their families.
In their rush to the hospital for emergency care, Rick and Rebekah didn’t have a chance to bring along Eva’s favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
“When we were able to see Eva, she laid under a butterfly blanket alongside two stuffed animals,” Rick says. “Eva absolutely loved butterflies. Someone had taken the time to offer comfort items to Eva. Those items also helped comfort us and came to have great meaning. They were the last items in Eva’s possession.”
Rick and Rebekah turned their grief into heartfelt giving when they established The Eva Martin Project. Since its inception in August 2023, the Baroda-based nonprofit has donated more than 3,300 stuffed animals and 1,200 blankets to children’s hospitals, pediatric departments and emergency rooms across southwest Michigan.
“These gifts allow us to continue telling Eva’s story and keep her in our memory,” Rick says. “They also help comfort children and families facing similar situations. Hopefully those children will be able to return home from the hospital with their parents and their little furry companions.”
In January, the Eva Martin Project made a generous gift of more than $3,000-worth of blankets and stuffed animals to Ascension Borgess-Lee Hospital. The hospital has shared the donated items with Borgess Allegan, Borgess-Pipp, Woodbridge Hills and the Borgess Hospital Emergency Department.Jessica Albar, MSN, RN, CEN, CLSSBB, Regional Director of Nursing for Ascension Borgess-Lee, Borgess Allegan, and Borgess-Pipp Hospitals, says the donation has touched many young patients and their families.
“Borgess is deeply grateful for the generous donation from the Eva Martin Project,” Albar says. “These thoughtful gifts have brought comfort and smiles to our pediatric patients during some of their most vulnerable moments.
Whether they are feeling scared, in pain, or simply unwell, the warmth of a blanket or the hug of a stuffed animal helps make their experience a little brighter. These gifts bring hope and healing in a meaningful way.”
Rick says their nonprofit relies on monetary donations, gifts of new stuffed animals and family members who make many of the blankets by hand.
“We couldn’t do our work without the support of family, the community, and the network of individuals who believe in this project,” he says.
“It’s truly amazing to see everyone come together to help change the dynamic between hospital staff and young patients.”
To support any of the Borgess Foundations, visit ascnmifnd.org/abfgivenow.