Evie Kathryn Judge was just 19 months old when her family learned that she had a brain tumor. She had always been a very happy, healthy baby. Evie had surgery in September 2004 to remove the tumor. The surgery was successful, Evie was home from the hospital in 8 days and healed quickly. Evie received 6 1/2 weeks of radiation treatment to fight the tumor from returning.
In February 2009 at a routine MRI Evie's family was dealt the devastating news that the tumor was back, in the same place as before, and about the size of a ping pong ball. Evie had surgery on March 3, 2009 to remove the tumor. The resection was successful, although Evie did not bounce back quite like she did with the first tumor. Evie was in and out of the hospital for the month of March for various problems ...
Evie Kathryn Judge was just 19 months old when her family learned that she had a brain tumor. She had always been a very happy, healthy baby. Evie had surgery in September 2004 to remove the tumor. The surgery was successful, Evie was home from the hospital in 8 days and healed quickly. Evie received 6 1/2 weeks of radiation treatment to fight the tumor from returning.
In February 2009 at a routine MRI Evie's family was dealt the devastating news that the tumor was back, in the same place as before, and about the size of a ping pong ball. Evie had surgery on March 3, 2009 to remove the tumor. The resection was successful, although Evie did not bounce back quite like she did with the first tumor. Evie was in and out of the hospital for the month of March for various problems related to her surgery. Evie also had left side weakness which made it hard to use her left arm or walk. Evie received a radical new treatment called the gamma knife, a five day dose of high radiation to prevent the tumor from returning. Evie did great with this treatment and still is the youngest patient to ever receive this treatment at UNC. Over the last year Evie worked very hard at occupational and physical therapy to strengthen her left side and learn to use her left arm/leg again. She was a trooper at therapy!
In January 2010 Evie began feeling bad with what doctors thought was a sinus infection. The infection wouldn't go away and she was referred to an ENT at UNC Hospitals. The ENT discovered that she had nerve paralysis in several areas of her brain and that her vocal cord on the left side was paralyzed. Evie's routine MRI was moved up to Friday, February 26th and Evie was admitted to the hospital. On February 26th Evie’s family learned that the tumor, an ependymoma, had returned again. The news was not as before, as this tumor was in her brain stem and inoperable. Her family was told that the tumor would take her life and there was little that could be done. Evie lived only two days after learning the news that her tumor had returned. She asked her parents to go home, and the doctors made sure she got home. Evie went to be with Jesus on February 28th, in her Mommy and Daddy's bed surrounded by her family and those who loved her the most.
Evie was an angel while on this Earth. She was strong, courageous and brave. She was never scared and taught those around her the most valuable lessons about life, love and happiness.
--
Emily T. Judge
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