3-Year-Old Meets 95-Year-Old In Assisted Living – They Make Headlines As Mother Can’t Ignore Their Unusual Relationship

Mar 05, 2019

A little girl is making headlines for her unlikely friendship with a senior citizen.

Etta is just three years old, but she's been going to Avita, an assisted living facility since she was a baby. Her mother brings her and her brother for weekly visits to brighten up the lives of the elderly residents there.

One day, Etta ran up to a 95-year-old war veteran named Stanley. She offered him an instrument as part of the facility's weekly music classes. Not content to give him just one, however, she kept running back and forth between the pile, and Stanley eventually collected eight instruments. That's when her mother realized that Etta and Stanley had formed a special bond.

"I have no idea when it actually started," she confessed to reporters. "They just kind of have a little connection."

Their connection is remarkable in more ways than one. You see, Stanley doesn't have the best memory for names and faces; like all of the residents of Avita, he has dementia. There are days when he doesn't recognize Etta right away. However, the young girl is always patient with him, and their visits usually end with hugs and cuddles even if Stanley doesn't quite remember her.

"I think Stanley is a very gentle soul," Etta's mother said. "I think there is just a feeling between them that they just know that they love each other and care about each other."

Their story gets even sweeter. On good days, Stanley will wake up early just to see Etta. The caretakers at the facility will remind him that it's a visiting day, and he'll willingly get out of bed even though he isn't an early riser in general. Once they're together, the pair have a lot of fun. They sing, play instruments, draw pictures and compete in board games. They've even tackled puzzles together to help Stanley's memory.

For Stanley, the visits are a reprieve from lonely days at the facility. For Etta, they're a chance to expand her family.

"We came to visit him for his birthday," Etta's mother recalled, "and I asked if any family member was coming to visit, and he said no. And [Etta], out of the blue, goes, 'Well, now you have our family.'"

What do you think of this unlikely duo? How much does it warm your heart to see the two of them getting along? Let us know in the comments and be sure to spread this lovely story – it will brighten everyone's day!