Maddie From 'Sister Wives' Isn't Letting Her Baby's Limb Differences Define Her
![Michelle Stein - Author](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/QRbo_8uwQ/200x200/michelle-stein-1587915986729.jpg)
Updated Feb. 12 2021, 4:11 p.m. ET
![maddie baby sister wives](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/480x251/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/640x335/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/768x402/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/1024x536/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/1280x670/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/1440x753/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/1600x837/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/SfzC9XHON/2160x1130/maddie-baby-sister-wives-1586018483786.jpeg 2160w)
Those who are longtime fans of Sister Wives already know that somehow, a new generation of the Brown family has already begun. This means yes, Kody is a proud grandfather — times two, actually, thanks to his daughter, Madison. And Maddie's baby girl is already growing up so fast.
In case you've lost track, Maddie is the second-born child of Kody and his second wife, Janelle. The 24-year-old Sister Wives star is married to Caleb Brush, and the couple currently shares two children: a son, Axel, who was born in May 2017, and a daughter, Evangalynn (aka "Evie,") who was born in August 2019.
![maddie sister wives baby](https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/480x480/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 480w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/640x640/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 640w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/768x768/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 768w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/1024x1024/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 1024w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/1280x1280/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 1280w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/1440x1440/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 1440w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/1600x1600/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 1600w, https://media.distractify.com/brand-img/11jSfLfSl/2160x2160/maddie-sister-wives-baby-1586018579191.jpeg 2160w)
Maddie's baby girl Evie was born with limb differences.
When Maddie and Caleb announced the birth of their baby girl, they shared the usual details: Her full name, her weight and height, and some photos of their newest addition. Evangalynn Kodi Brush weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and measured 21 inches long, according to People. And she was cute as a button.
It wasn't until Oct. 23 when Maddie first opened up about her baby's medical condition.
"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," Maddie captioned an Instagram photo — which was the first wide-angle shot showing her baby's hands and legs.
Maddie explained that Evie had been diagnosed with FATCO syndrome, a "rare medical syndrome where bones in extremities do not fully develop." The mama bear also shared that she and Caleb were aware of some abnormalities before their baby was born.
"We knew something was wrong when we went in for a routine anatomy ultrasound at 26 weeks and what should have taken 45 minutes, ended up lasting a nerve-wracking two hours," she wrote. "It was then that the doctor told us that they couldn’t find all ten fingers and diagnosed the baby with oligodactyly (fewer than 10 fingers). Although this was better than expected, it was still heartbreaking news."
After Maddie and Caleb's baby was born, they learned she was missing three fingers, a toe, and her fibula. Evie also has a bowed tibia, a shortened forearm, and some fusing in her fingers.
"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. "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."
Maddie continued, "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 baby's health condition isn't slowing her down.
A March 2020 update from Maddie answered a question she gets from fans multiple times per day: Will Evie's limb differences affect her development?
"For a long time, I couldn't even answer that. I assumed she might have a delay crawling, standing and walking," she captioned a photo of her baby girl. "Evie so quickly proved my assumptions wrong. She crawled so quickly and now pulls herself up to standing. It looks different than what is considered 'normal' but she is one determined little girl."
Maddie continued, "A couple of days after her birth the geneticist we worked with told us that, she sees most babies born with limb difference adapt REALLY well. When you don't know anything else, how could it not be what you consider normal?"
So yes, Maddie's baby girl was born with limb differences. But based on what the doting mama has shared so far, Evie's not letting that slow her down. And since Maddie and Celeb have decided to be open about their baby's medical condition, they're raising more awareness for her condition — along with so many other children with limb differences — in the process.
Watch Sister Wives Sundays at 10 p.m. (ET) on TLC.