Ellia’s Fund

On February 20th, 2018 Ellia delivered our second son, Peter William. The delivery was normal and she was healing quickly. She felt ready to go home the next day. The next night Evan was working late and Ellia was nursing the baby. When Evan arrived she told him she had a headache and needed to eat. Suddenly her right side went numb and she called the nurse in. Soon the room was filled with nurses and a team from the ICU. She was sent for an MRI to check for signs of a stroke. The MRI came back clean for a stroke, but soon the neurologist came to meet with Ellia. A lesion was discovered on the right side of her cerebellum and a second round of testing was ordered. The second MRI revealed a juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (solid tumor mass) with a large cystic mass. The neurosurgeon informed us that the cyst was limiting space for her spinal fluid and surgery was urgent.The surgery will be performed on Wednesday March 14. Recovery after the surgery will be lengthy and painful and we ask that you please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers in this difficult time. We appreciate anything you may be willing to give for the incredible burden of medical expenses we will face after the surgery and thank you for your continued prayers.