‘Sister Wives’ Star Maddie Brown Reflects on ‘Freaking Out’ Over Daughter’s Rare Condition

Honesty hour. Sister Wives star Maddie Brown recalled how she felt finding out about her newborn daughter Evangalynn‘s rare medical condition. The baby, who was born on August 20, was diagnosed with “fibular aplasia, tibial campomelia and oligosyndactyly (FATCO) syndrome” — a genetic disorder that causes limb malformation. The young girl was born without a thumb, toe and two of her fingers were fused together. In addition, she is missing her shinbone and calf bone in one of her legs.

The 23-year-old confessed during an interview with People that she was reluctant to publicly speak about her daughter’s condition but hopes to “bring awareness.” She explained, “It’s abnormal, and it catches people off guard, but 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?” Maddie admitted that one of the hardest parts of her daughter’s rare condition is all the “unknowns” about how it will affect her life later. Luckily, the reality star noted, “There will be limitations, but not huge hinderances.”

The moment Evangalynn entered the world was joyful, but her condition added an extra layer of fear. “We were shocked … 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,” the TLC star reflected. “I was freaking out.”

Maddie — who also shares 2-year-old son Axel with husband Caleb Brush — recalled the moment they found out about their daughter’s medical limitations during an ultrasound. “It usually takes about 45 minutes, but the doctor just kept looking and looking … I was stressing out the whole time,” she divulged about the two-hour appointment she endured that day.

The couple was then called back to the doctor’s office. “That’s when he told me, ‘I can’t find all 10 fingers,'” Maddie said while adding that the fetus was diagnosed with oligodactyly, a “congenital anomaly defined as the presence of fewer than five fingers on a hand.”

All in all, Maddie and Caleb looked at the bigger picture. “There were lots of emotions, but I was also relieved because there could have been a whole lot more wrong,” she admitted.

Evangalynn will have to wait until she is 12 months to explore more options, such as surgery or amputation. For now, the family is focused on enjoying every minute of this precious newborn time together.