#Elephants4Evelyn, Help the Maciags

Evelyn is a beautiful 7-month-old sweet little baby girl with an invasive, large brain tumor that can only be partially removed through surgery. She is likely going to need multiple surgeries, radiation, and other treatments. Her family wants to give her the best care possible, which is likely to require some travel and will definitely require time off work. Expenses are already mounting, and they will only climb higher and higher. We are hoping to help in this way so that her family doesn't have to worry as much about money during a time when all of their moments should be spent loving their gorgeous little daughter. Evelyn is their only child. Katie and Nick had to fight so hard to even have her. She is their world.

Katie and Nick experienced loss in pregnancy twice prior to having Evelyn. Katie's first loss was at 22 weeks gestation, due to a fatal neural tube defect. They lost another pregnancy shortly thereafter. Evelyn was closely monitored during her development. She is Katie and Nick's Miracle Baby!

Evelyn had been a happy, healthy, chubby love-muffin her first 6 months, but then problems started to arise. She began to hold her head to one side and seemed uncomfortable when encouraged to straighten it. Then, the vomiting began, especially in the mornings, that would not respond to medication or feeding changes. Evelyn stopped gaining weight at a time when she should be robustly gaining. She interacted less. Her voracious appetite disappeared. Finally, weakness of her left side set in. Evelyn was admitted to Women's and Children's Hospital in Buffalo, NY on Thursday, July 6, 2017. CT scan (and later, MRI) of the brain showed a large, infiltrative, diffuse irregular tumor of Evelyn's brain, involving large portions of her cerebellum and invading her brain stem. The tumor was blocking the flow of her CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), causing increased pressure on her brain; this is what was likely causing Evelyn's vomiting. On July 7, surgery was performed to insert a drain to allow this fluid to drain to alleviate the pressure on her brain. A 3-hour MRI of her entire central nervous system was taken under anesthesia. Luckily, no other tumors were found in her spinal cord. A more invasive surgery to biopsy and "debulk" portions of the brain tumor is planned for Monday, July 10, 2017. Positive thoughts and prayer are needed to get this little girl happy again.

Evelyn lives in the Buffalo area with her parents, Katie and Nick Maciag, and their two yellow labs, Rio and Pearl. Katie is a wonderful, highly dedicated mother who works as a valued Licensed Senior Veterinary Technician at Town & Country Animal Clinic in Cheektowaga, NY. She grew up in Vermont and moved to Buffalo to attend Medaille College. She met Nick and settled down in Buffalo. She has fought tirelessly for Evelyn every step of the way, pushing for answers and comfort for her baby girl. She has been by Evelyn's side at every moment.

Nick is a proud and loving father who is a dedicated and talented Electrician for Niagara Transformer. He is the anchor that every family needs in a time of crisis. He is always willing to help friends and family. He grew up in Buffalo and has strong Polish roots.


They are a wonderful family going through an extremely difficult time. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help. Please share their story. Explain to the people you know why they need help. Tell people about this family so that they understand. Extend that personal touch. We all hope someone will help us during our times of need. Help us alleviate their financial stress. Help us restore their hope. Help us help The Maciags.