When Evangalynn was born, she was also missing a thumb and a toe, and one leg was missing a fibula (commonly known as the calf bone) and she had a bowed tibia (shinbone). Two of her fingers were also fused together.
Last October, Brush shared with PEOPLE that she and husband Caleb Brush were "shocked" at their daughter's diagnosis of fibular aplasia, tibial campomelia and oligosyndactyly (FATCO) syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects bone formation in utero.
"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. I was freaking out," she said.
The family had to wait until Evangalynn turned 1 to find out the best way to treat her, Brush previously told PEOPLE.
Brush, who is also mom to son Axel James, 3, said at the time that her daughter will grow up to have "limitations, but not huge hindrances."
“It’s abnormal, and it catches people off guard, but I want her to grow up and feel proud about who she is," she added of her daughter's condition. "If I’m hiding this to protect her, is it really helpful?”
"So little is known about this, so I hope to bring awareness," Brush added.
Brush celebrated her daughter's first birthday on August 20 with a tribute on Instagram.
"Happy 1st Birthday to my little spitfire ray of sunshine!" she wrote, sharing a photo of little Evangalynn smiling at a beach. "It's crazy how quickly this year flew by. 🍋🌼💛"
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