Maddie Brown Worried Addressing Her Daughter’s Condition Would Make Her a ‘Target’ of Cyberbullying

She’s in mama bear mode. Maddie Brown revealed on October 23 that her daughter, Evangalynn Kodi Brush, has a rare medical condition — “fibular aplasia, tibial campomelia and oligosyndactyly (FATCO) syndrome” — a genetic disorder that causes limb malformation. When she was born on August 20, Evie was missing a thumb and a toe, one leg was missing a fibula (a.k.a. the calf bone) and she had a bowed tibia (shinbone). Two of her fingers were also fused together.

Maddie, 23, explained that she was worried about revealing her daughter’s condition, but told People, “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?” She then opened up on Instagram and told her followers she and her husband, Caleb Brush, “Were hesitant to share Evie’s condition publicly for fear that our infant daughter would become the target of mean jokes and cyberbullying.”

The Sister Wives star began the post, “This is one of the hardest things that Caleb and I have gone through and the decision to share almost as difficult, but after a lot of consideration, we realized that it’s the best thing for our daughter and there is a chance it may help other parents who may also be struggling.”

She continued by explaining that Evie’s condition is “a rare medical syndrome where bones in extremities do not fully develop” and that “It wasn’t a complete surprise; we were aware of some abnormalities before birth.”

“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,” Maddie wrote. “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!”

Maddie’s mom and Evie’s grandma, Janelle Brown, commented on the post, “Evie is someone so unique and so special. My love for her is fierce.” It’s really awful that Maddie is already worried about people bullying her baby for something she can’t change. But we think she’s a lucky little girl to have the support she does in the Brown family, and particularly from her strong, protective mama.