Hearts, Love and $30K for Ellie

When 6-year-old Ellie Cuiching with a life-threatening brain tumor, it didn't take long for the Lemont community to rally around her family.

After two operations, neurosurgeons at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago were only able to remove 98 percent of the tumor, which had been occupying about 50 percent of Ellie's brain. Doctors called her case "extremely rare" and classified the tumor as Grade II or III, meaning the cells could grow back or spread to other tissue.

Meanwhile, back in Lemont, a group of volunteers began organizing fundraisers to help the Cuiching family. From Jan. 17-23, six local restaurants donated a portion of their proceeds to Ellie's Fund, which was set up by Terri O'Neill, founder of Hope and Friendship Ministries.

Though Ellie was released from the hospital Jan. 17 after a two-week stay, she has continued to receive weekly tests and treatments while doctors determine the next course of action. Last week, the Cuichings received the first bill for their hospital stay — a whopping $86,372 that did not include the costs of radiology, pathology or surgery.

Despite the bad news, the week ended on a high note for the Cuichings as the community came together for a second and much larger fundraiser, affectionately dubbed "Hearts and Love for Ellie." The event, held Friday night at , drew hundreds of family members, friends and community members, and raised nearly $30,000 for Ellie's Fund.

Kyle Cuiching, Ellie's mom, said she was blown away by the extreme kindness and generosity of those who attended attended he event, many of whom were complete strangers.

"As a mother, to have this many people supporting Ellie is amazing," she said. "It was very uplifting and overwhelming for me to see the turnout, which I wasn't expecting at all."

The fundraiser featured a 50-50 raffle and a number of valuable silent auction items, including a Chicago Blackhawks jersey signed by the entire team and multiple vacation packages. Local bands Fort Awesome and Field Day provided the entertainment while the restaurant served up dinner and drinks.

Lining the walls of the restaurant were dozens of paper hearts with well wishes for Ellie.

"My family and I are so grateful for everything, especially the efforts of Terri O'Neill," Kyle Cuiching said. "I hope everyone knows how much this is going to help us."

Ellie's Story

Before this year, Ellie was a first-grader at Oakwood School who loved swimming, Taekwondo and playing with her friends, Kyle said.

Shortly before the New Year, however, Ellie began complaining of bad headaches. Kyle and her husband, Dave Cuiching, immediately took her to the doctor.

“You don’t ever suspect that they’re going to come back and say that your little girl has a brain tumor,” Kyle said. “It just completely shocking and devastating.”

Since Ellie’s surgeries, doctors have officially diagnosed her tumor as a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), a tumor so rare that her family hasn’t even been able to find much information on the Internet. For Kyle, however, not knowing too much is crucial for her health. She suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that causes immune cells to attach the central nervous system.

“I really have to be careful with my MS and how I handle Ellie’s situation,” she said. “It becomes too much at times and it causes the MS to flare up.”

O’Neill said Kyle’s condition, along with Dave’s battles with asthma and allergies, has put additional stress on the family as they deal with Ellie’s illness. The couple also has a younger son, Jake, who is struggling to understand what is happening to his sister.

“The entire family needs to be able to continue receiving the treatment and medicines they need, and that cost is going to be devastating,” O’Neill said. “There are many things the community can do to assist this family in their time of need.”

A Long Road Ahead

Because of the grade and rarity of the tumor, Kyle said Ellie will likely need treatment for the rest of her life. Despite the outlook, the family is trying to remain optimistic, she said.

Ellie will return to school this week for two hours each day, with her class's Valentine's Day party serving as a "Welcome Back" celebration of sorts. She is walking, talking and slowly getting back to regular activities like coloring and playing with friends. However, part of her face is still paralyzed from the surgery and her family has noticed a slight change in her personality.

"She has good days and bad days, but overall she's doing as well as could be expected, considering the size of the tumor and the original prognosis," Kyle said. "For right now, we're just trying to enjoy every moment we have with her."

Several of Ellie's extended family members said during the fundraiser Friday that her illness had brought them closer together. Ellie's great-grandfather, George Chiagouris, said the family is trying to be strong for Kyle and Dave, but can't help feeling sad over the situation.

"I look at her beautiful face and I think, 'She's a baby and this shouldn't be happening to her,'" Chiagouris said. "I'm 89 years old and have lived a full life. If I could take this tumor for her, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Steve Wunder, Kyle's father, expressed his thanks to the Lemont community for coming together to support his granddaughter.

"The people of Lemont are amazing and have just completely blown us away with their support for our family," Wunder said. "God brought us all together, and it's truly remarkable."

According to Kyle, the family will learn more about Ellie's condition in the coming weeks and will have a better idea as to the course of treatment that will be required. To assist the family, O'Neill has organized meals to be dropped off from now to March and will continue accepting donations for Ellie's fund.

"We are very happy and grateful for the turnout, but my hope is that the community realizes this family still needs our help," O'Neill said. "We're going to keep going with fundraising and assisting them in any way we can."

How to Donate

Follow Ellie's journey at LoveforEllie.com. For information on how you can help the Cuichings, e-mail hopeandfriendship@comcast.net. Donations may be dropped off at , 1132 State St., or mailed to:

Hope and Friendship Ministries
721 Hickory St.
Lemont, IL 60439

Editor's Note: Terri O'Neill is the author of Lemont Patch's column,  For a special thank you from the Cuiching family, check out .