What began as a headache for Trigg County second grader Evelyn Shelton in the spring of 2023 turned into a cancer fight that has the community from young to old rallying behind her.
As the headaches continued, her mother Bre Shelton took her to several doctors and specialists. A trip to Vanderbilt Medical Center several months later began to shed some light on what was actually a serious situation.
click to download audioEvelyn was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Glioma, a common tumor in children with a certain genetic condition that Evelyn does not possess.
While undergoing the treatment, Bre says Evelyn wanted to reach out to other children who may be suffering from the same condition and what they were doing to get through it. It was a support group page on Facebook that changed their lives.
click to download audioIt was through the support group that Bre learned of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis. A consultation there determined that surgery could be performed to remove what they learned was a two-inch tumor behind Evelyn’s eye socket.
Last April, Evelyn underwent surgery to remove the tumor even though it meant sacrificing her vision in that eye.
click to download audioWhile Evelyn was recovering from the surgery, a couple of Trigg County High School students — Annie Reynolds and Dawson Goodwin — decided to create fundraisers through the DECA club to support Bre and Evelyn. Last week, they presented them with a $3,000 check to help with Evelyn’s follow-up treatment.
Reynolds says the check was the culmination of several community fundraisers
click to download audioFor both students, they say the fundraisers were a nice way to give back to people they know in need.
click to download audioFor Bre, the support they have received has been amazing but not surprising.
click to download audioEvelyn still makes follow-up visits to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis every four months where she undergoes an MRI to make sure the cancer has not returned. If she continues to make progress, the visits will stretch to every six months.
Evelyn has pivoted her interest from softball to dance as she goes about a life of normalcy the best she can.
She has her own support page on Facebook called ‘Evelyn Strong’ where you can follow her progress and learn about other fundraisers to benefit Evelyn, who is now 9 years old and in the third grade.
