Help Evelyn Fight Cancer: A Brave Little Girl's Journey

On June 6, 2024 Evelyn Rivera, a kindergarten student at Henry J. Kalfas Elementary school, was diagnosed with an ovarian teratoma – just twenty days before her 6th birthday. What is normally a benign tumor, turned out to be a large, malignant mass. Fortunately, it was able to be removed surgically, but doctors also had to remove one of her ovaries in the process. Following that operation, things were looking positive for Evelyn. She recovered well from the surgery and her tri-monthly scans were encouraging. Up until February 4, 2025, when Evelyn was admitted to Oishei Children’s Hospital with stomach pain and distention, where she would then stay for an entire month. After many tests, her scans showed a mass in her pelvis and almost three liters of fluid. Once doctors went back in surgically, they discovered not only a cluster of tumors, but also abnormal spots on her bladder, intestines, and the lining of her abdominal cavity. While doctors were able to remove the main mass, they were not able to remove everything. To address this, it was determined that she would need to undergo an undetermined number of intense 21-day cycles of chemotherapy. Evelyn’s official diagnosis is stage 4 high-grade glioma consistent with gliomatosis peritonei - a very rare and aggressive cancer.

As of right now, Evelyn is completing her second round of chemo as planned. However, results of her most recent pet scan indicate a new pelvic tumor has grown since the previous was removed last month. Under the guidance of an oncology team from Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer Center, Roswell will most likely need to adjust Evelyn’s upcoming course of treatment. Evelyn and her mom have a long and difficult road ahead of them. This is something no parent should ever have to go through, and certainly no child either. Evelyn is such a bright light, and even through the darkest parts of this journey she has maintained her beautiful smile and positive spirit.

Due to the intense nature of her treatment, Evelyn’s mom Lineshka will need to continue taking as much unpaid time off of work as she can. Unfortunately, weekly visits from the travelling nurse, appointments, medical expenses, and six-day-long inpatient treatments make it challenging for Evelyn’s mom to work. This has already resulted in lost wages which she will continue to endure for the months to come. Let’s band together to take some of the financial burden off of Lineshka so she can continue to focus on giving Evelyn the best care possible. I know that Evelyn and Lineshka would greatly appreciate of any support that comes their way. Whether it be a monetary contribution, a hot meal, or an uplifting word of hope, any little bit helps. Please keep this sweet, brave little girl and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they continue the fight against cancer.