A first birthday is always a big occasion, but for Eevie, it's taken on a whole new meaning. She was born with a rare leukemia that gives her a 17 percent chance of surviving to age 2.
Even her parents weren't sure she would make it this far.
"We didn't think she would still be here. The odds were never in her favor," said her mom, Brynne.
Eevie was born with congenital acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an extremely rare condition affecting 1 in 5 million newborns. She will have to receive chemotherapy until age 2.
Her parents noticed unexplained bruises on her body when she was born, and tests showed low blood sugar levels and white blood cells nearly 38 times higher than normal. Within 24 hours, the family was on the pediatric cancer ward at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. They ended up spending the next seven months there, living at the Ronald McDonald House.
When Eevie was first diagnosed, her parents discovered her name meant "life warrior." And they quickly learned that's what she is.