Silent Messengers

The photograph you see is the “Editorial Without Words,” the moment in time that inspired the Silent Messenger statues. This is a 1970 photograph taken at a Shriner’s picnic in Evansville, Indiana. The photo captured Al Hortman, a Shriner who stooped down, picked up little Bobbi Jo Wright and her crutches, and carried her across a gravel parking lot. Bobbi Jo was born with cerebral palsy, resulting in several orthopedic problems and multiple surgeries. 

The photo and statues it inspired symbolize the commitment of Kosair for Kids to help all children live life to the fullest. 28 Silent Messenger statues sit outside of organizations in our area as a symbol of Kosair for Kids’ commitment to the children of Kentucky and southern Indiana.

Down Syndrome of Louisville Executive Director Julie Torzewski recently put into context what having a Silent Messenger means to an organization: “A Silent Messenger is a symbol of quality, of real true transformation that you are making in the community. That Kosair for Kids stands behind that, it means something,” she said. “I think it just gives you that stamp of quality.“