(Pasadena, CA) – Drew Shouse expected a quiet New Year’s week built around medical appointments. Instead, the ten-year-old Indiana football fan found himself in the Rose Bowl stands as the Hoosiers delivered a stunning 38–3 win over Alabama.
Shouse, a South Decatur student from the Westport area, attended the game with his father, Alex, and brother, Jack. The trip west came as a surprise for the family and marked a rare break from a routine shaped by Drew’s ongoing medical care.
Drew was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart condition that has required extensive treatment since infancy. His bond with Indiana football began through Team IMPACT, a nonprofit that connects children facing serious illness or disability with college athletic programs to provide long-term support and belonging.
That connection led to a New Year’s Day experience few could have imagined — a seat inside one of college football’s most storied venues as Indiana capped a dominant performance on a national stage.
Indiana’s season continues next week, when the Hoosiers face Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 in Atlanta. For the Shouse family, however, the Rose Bowl trip already stands as a moment that will be hard to top.
