Help Support the O’Bryan Family as They Care for Sweet Evie

As many of you know, Evie O’Bryan, Paul and Monica’s youngest daughter, has been courageously battling a complex and debilitating illness for almost a year. During this time, she has seen numerous neurologists and specialists across the region. Her medical team is getting closer to understanding what is causing her symptoms, but there is still no definitive diagnosis.

Right now, Evie and her mom, Monica, are living at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (and the adjacent Ronald McDonald House), where they will remain until at least Christmas. Monica has taken family medical leave to stay at Evie’s bedside, while Paul continues to travel back and forth to work and care for their family. This has placed a tremendous emotional and financial strain on them, and our community wants to wrap them in support.

Their faith remains strong, and we continue to pray for a miracle for Evie.

To help ease the burden during this incredibly difficult time, we are starting this GoFundMe for the O’Bryan family. All donations will go directly toward Evie’s extensive medical needs, travel expenses, lodging, and the many unexpected costs that come with long-term hospitalization and specialized care.

Below is Paul’s recent update from Facebook, which shares more about Evie’s current condition:

From Paul:

Evie’s pain is being somewhat controlled; it comes and goes, and we are still trying to manage her headaches, which remain one of the biggest challenges.

Long story short: she experienced an aseptic meningitis reaction likely caused by a combination of her IVIG treatment, a common cold virus (rhinovirus), and her underlying disease.

Her foot and leg issues have worsened, and we expect to be here for several weeks of intensive rehab. This will include botox in her calves to reduce tone, followed by stretching through casting on both legs. The hope is that this will allow her ankle-foot orthotics to be more effective. Physical therapy will be daily, and our goal is to ultimately have her home by Christmas. Fingers and toes crossed.

We still don’t know the name of what is ailing her. So far it is described as: “encephalomyelitis felt to favor a metabolic/mitochondrial underlying process with brain biopsy consistent with leukoencephalopathy without a definitive genetic etiology.” We have specialists reviewing her biopsies (brain, muscle, and skin) in Iowa, Washington, D.C., and other centers in hopes of finding exact answers. It is possible that we may never know the full cause.

It is highly unlikely that what she has is curable. Genetic and mitochondrial diseases simply aren’t there yet. Our plan is to manage her symptoms, keep her as comfortable and active as possible, and continue searching for both answers and hope.

Your continued thoughts and prayers mean the world to us.

Evie is on Instagram at “evierobryan” and on Snapchat if you’d like to send her messages of support—or even goofy Highland cow memes to brighten her day.

How You Can Help

Your generosity, whether through donating or sharing this page, will help lift the heavy load this family is carrying. No gift is too small. Every prayer, every message, and every act of kindness fuels their strength.

Thank you for standing with the O’Bryans during this unimaginable journey. Let’s surround them with love, hope, and practical support as they fight alongside Evie.