Sister Wives cast member Maddie Brown continues to be brave and honest in the face of a heartbreaking situation.
Brown, who gave birth late this past summer to a precious little girl, learned something tragic at her 28-week ultrasound a short while back.
She was told at the time by a doctor that her child-to-be was going to be born with a rare condition.
The physician actually told the then-pregnant reality star that he couldn’t "find all 10 fingers" on her baby.
Brown’s daughter was diagnosed with oligodactyly, a congenital anomaly defined as the presence of fewer than five fingers on a hand.
“There were lots of emotions,” she told People Magazine. “But I was also relieved because there could have been a whole lot more wrong."
That’s quite impressive, to have that sort of perspective almost immediately.
When the TLC personality and her husband, Caleb Brush, welcomed Evangalynn Kodi on August 20, the newborn was also missing a thumb and a toe… and one leg was missing a fibula (commonly known as the calf bone) and also had a bowed tibia (shinbone).
Moreover, two of her fingers were fused together.
“We were shocked,” explains Brown, who is also mom to two-year-old son Axel James, adding:
“I was just sitting there trying to comprehend what’s going on, having just had a baby as they are bringing in all these specialists. I was freaking out.”
Here is a photo of the adorable newborn:
As you might expect, it wasn’t easy for Brown to share this very personal news with the world.
So, why did she do so?
"I want her to grow up and feel proud about who she is. If I’m hiding this to protect her, is it really helpful?" Brown told People.
She then elaborated on Instagram, telling followers that, yes, she’s scared Evie may be bullied as a result of her deformity — but that’s why they need to instill in her a sense of self-confidence.
At a very early age.
"We were hesitant to share Evie’s condition publicly for fear that our infant daughter would become the target of mean jokes and cyberbullying," Maddie wrote, continuing as follows;
"That said, we felt not being open would be even worse and make Evie feel ashamed for something that makes her all the more special in our eyes."
Concluded Brown:
As far as we have been told, with fewer than 10 recorded cases of her specific findings, it’s unclear what causes the condition. She is healthy in every other way aside from the missing bones.
As a family, we have decided to be open as we walk through this journey. We want Evie to always feel pride in who she is, and all that God gave her!
We send Maddie and her loved ones nothing but our best wishes.