Raynham family always loved Halloween — but this year they did it for 9-year-old Evie

RAYNHAM — If the Anderson family had it their way, every day would be Halloween.

In addition to the year-round spooky décor inside their home, husband Jared Anderson and wife Kimberly Anderson go all out with the Halloween decorations and spooky displays every year on their front yard.

This year they are topping themselves, bringing in displays from other family members, building homemade sets, and incorporating the backyard into the festivities. They’ve been at it since early September.

Their determination in topping the previous year isn't about spectacle. It’s an act of love and remembrance.

This past spring, Jared and Kimberly’s youngest daughter, Evelyn, 9, died suddenly of cardiac arrest. “Evie,” as she was known, loved Halloween, and her family’s Halloween efforts, more than anything, are a celebration of her life this year.

Why Halloween is dedicated to Evie

Evie was a very physically active and sociable girl, said her mother Kimberly.

“She loved people, and wanted to be everyone’s friend,” said Kimberly, adding she could be a “sassy spitfire” at times, but in a humble way.

Jared said Evie loved going to school every day, learning and interacting with her friends, teachers and classmates.

Besides cheerleading, she also participated as a pledge sister with the Rainbow for Girls youth club.

She also loved everything to do with water, whether swimming, fishing, going to the beach or being on her parents’ boat.

“She could never stop doing something,” said Jared about her constant energy.

Some of the family’s fondest memories of Evie had to do with her love of Halloween, being ecstatic and “helping out” in any she could with setting up Halloween decorations.

Jared and Kimberly said Evie didn’t watch many horror or Halloween movies, but "Hocus Pocus" was a favorite of hers, and she loved dressing up for the holiday, including being Chucky, the evil doll from the Child’s Play movie franchise, one year.  Said Kimberly: “With the red hair, she looked great.”

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Evie's health challenges

Kimberly and Jared said Evie was born with a missing chromosome, which resulted in assorted medical issues. She developed physically slower than other kids her age. She had heart defects, including both aortic and pulmonary stenosis. She was prone to seizures and was on medication for epilepsy, among other things.

The last three years of her life were especially difficult, said Kimberly, as her seizures and heart defects were causing heart stoppages.

“Anything could trigger an episode. Just her being active. But it never happened here” at home, Jared said.

Evie eventually needed a pacemaker, which was implanted two years ago.

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Suffered cardiac arrest at school

On the afternoon of June 12 of this year while Evie was at school at Williams Intermediate School in Bridgewater she suffered a cardiac episode. Kimberly said medical personnel at school and in the ambulance on the way to the hospital did their best, but Evie lost the battle 45 minutes after the start of the episode.

Along with Jared and Kimberly, Evie leaves behind older brother Cayden Anderson, 16, and older twin sisters, Paige and Jade Donofrio, 19.

Loved by all who knew her

Over 800 people attended Evie’s wake, said Kimberly.

“She knew everyone, and everyone knew her,” Kimberly said.

Oct. 22 is Evie’s birthday, which is why the family planned her celebration of life for the Saturday, Oct. 21.  Hundreds of family members, friends and others will be in attendance throughout that day, Kimberly said earlier this month.

Evie and her bus driver, Win Farwell, bonded over their shared love of mac and cheese during a year of trips to and from school.

"When you have a small child like that sitting directly behind you in the school van, you laugh and joke and they endear themselves to you," said Farwell, who is also a Brockton city councilor.

"She was the funniest kid."

Jared said the overall set-up this year for Halloween has been “somewhat therapeutic” for him and Kimberly, but it’s taken longer because “some days were pretty rough emotionally” because Evie is no longer physically there by his side as his little helper.

“I’ve had to pause myself every now and then,” Jared said.

Despite the difficulties, Jared and Kimberly intend on keeping the family tradition alive every Halloween, striving to build out the biggest Halloween attraction they can produce in their yard, for all to see. 

They are also working on establishing a non-profit, The Evelyn Grace Fund, intended for helping families deal with their medical expenses for their children, such as traveling.

“We had many hospital stays [for Evie].  We were at Boston Children’s Hospital a lot.”

Evie's obituary said she “loved life to the fullest” and was “always afraid to miss something, she hated to sleep, but this didn't slow her down. She kept her infectious smile and her take charge attitude while bossing everyone around and flipping people off, no matter who you were.”

With reporting by Enterprise staff writer Chris Helms

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Evie Anderson loved Halloween, Raynham family decorates in her honor