Meet 2025 Youth Ambassador Ethan Hills.

Life changed for Ethan Hills on April 27, 2024. It was Ethan’s first camping trip with his Scout troop, and he was having a great time. But in the early morning hours, a tree fell on the tent where Ethan was sleeping. Ethan experienced a life-threatening traumatic brain injury and was life-flighted to a Louisville children’s hospital. Ethan had a difficult fight ahead of him as he battled to regain consciousness, breathe on his own, and regain movement. He spent months in an acute rehab hospital before going home to Newburgh IN. It was just the beginning of Ethan’s recovery. Now Easterseals is a part of his journey!

Ethan began receiving physical therapy at the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in December 2024, and this determined 12-year-old is already making amazing progress. He has gone from using a rolling walker for most of his mobility to walking unassisted! He’s working on balance and coordination, stepping over objects, standing and walking on uneven surfaces, jumping, and much more.

Through hard work and a positive attitude, Ethan accomplishes new things every week. This Castle North sixth-grader is unstoppable! His mom Ashley said, “The biggest change I have seen in Ethan since we started coming to Easterseals is an increase in his confidence in his own abilities and his willingness to challenge himself.”

Ethan certainly doesn’t shy away from challenges in therapy! He has always loved sports, so his therapist uses baseball and soccer to bring out Ethan’s competitive side, make sessions fun, and keep him motivated. Ethan can now hit a ball off a tee and off of pitches, and he has an even bigger goal in mind: “To learn to run and kick so I can get back on the soccer field and be with the other boys on the team again!”

Ethan is well on his way to reaching his goals! With the community’s support, Easterseals empowers Ethan and thousands of other Tri-State children and adults to achieve their dreams.