Lauren Hill Foundation surprises South Ripley player

(VERSAILLES, Ind.) – South Ripley senior Kaiya Rinear wears #22 in honor of Lawrenceburg graduate Lauren Hill. 

Hill was recruited to Mount Saint Joseph to play basketball and only accepted the offer on the condition that she could wear #22. 

Shortly after being accepted, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and her ‘Never Give Up’ attitude inspired the world and brought global attention to DIPG. 

Kaiya was just 7-years-old when Lauren was battling the terminal disease and had no connections to the family. 

A few years ago, she was watching a documentary about Lauren and it inspired her to wear #22 for Lauren. 

The 812 covered Kaiya’s story a few weeks ago and she never expected anything from it. 

That story caught the attention of Lauren Hill’s dad as well as the nonprofit Lauren’s Fight for Cure Foundation. 

Lauren raised over $1 million for brain cancer research while she was alive and the foundation continues her legacy of building awareness, raising funds, and providing assistance to young patients and their families. 

On Friday, Lauren’s dad and the foundation stopped by South Ripley’s game to surprise Kaiya with a gift and to thank her for keeping Lauren’s legacy alive. 

“We are incredibly thrilled with Kaiya honoring Lauren this way. Lauren never gave up and wanted to dedicate what she had left to young people, and for somebody else like Kaiya to recognize that means the world,” said Lauren’s dad, Brent Hill. 

Kaiya says she was honored to meet Lauren’s dad and foundation and is also honored to wear #22.

“Although I never got to meet her, she is a very special young woman and just her love for the game of basketball has inspired me a lot,” Rinear told The 812. 

Lauren’s Fight for Cure Foundation was represented by board president Brandon Lorton and secretary Jamie Lorton. They not only gave gifts to Kaiya, as each South Ripley basketball player also received a gift from the foundation. 

You can follow the foundation by visiting their website here.

For Kaiya, she recently reached the 1,000th-point career mark and is hoping to play college basketball.