Vickie’s Angel Foundation has recently supported a Perry County family with 3-year-old twin girls, Ella and Eve Oakley, who have an amazing story that has been chronicled by several local and national media outlets.

The girls both suffer from Retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that typically affects young children. They were both diagnosed shortly after they were born on Dec. 19, 2017.

Being diagnosed with this rare disease has meant many visits to doctor’s offices and to hospitals, including the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Vickie’s Angel Foundation has stepped in to help the Oakley family due to the financial strain that has accompanied getting the girls the medical care they need.

“It was awesome that they were willing to help. They helped us with three months of rent, $200 in grocery gift cards,” said Maryann Oakley, the mother of Ella and Eve. “They’ll send in the rent and they send me a receipt saying we paid the rent. That’s the extent that they go to. It’s been amazing.”

PEOPLE, the well-known news outlet that publishes a national magazine, profiled Ella and Eve about a year ago. In that story, Maryann Oakley shared the harrowing account of how Eve fought for her life shortly after she was born. When she stopped eating and appeared lethargic, her family brought her to the Hershey Medical Center, where she was rushed into emergency surgery to address a twisted bowel. Complications developed, leaving Eve on life support with many of her organs failing.

Although she survived, it was during that time that Eve was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. That led Maryann Oakley and her husband, Nathan, to also have Ella checked as well. That’s when doctors confirmed she too had the same rare cancer.

Both girls have undergone chemotherapy and routinely get their eyes checked due to the fact that they are at high risk for a cancer reoccurrence as their eyes continue to develop at a young age, their mother said. As a side effect of her cancer treatments and medication, Eve also has developed a condition called auditory neuropathy, a hearing disorder that has made it difficult for her to learn to speak.

“It’s a constant battle in your mind. It’s a struggle every day,” Maryann Oakley said. “Now we’re in a better place, but we have to manage so much. We still have so much going on with their medical issues.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has not made things any easier. The Oakleys, who live in Marysville, have been extremely cautious due to the fact that Ella and Eve have compromised immune systems. Maryann Oakley also has not returned to work because providing support for her daughters and getting them to their medical appointments has turned out to be a full-time job.

Despite all that’s going on, Ella and Eve are both upbeat and bring a lot of joy to their parents and others. They have the ability to light up a room and shine in photographs. The Oakley family has much to be thankful for, including the support they have received from people in their community.

“We’ve been very blessed that people have reached out and helped us along the way. Vickie’s Angels is such a big one around here,” Maryann Oakley said. “You feel alone in the situation at times, but we have

someone who you don’t even know willing to go above and beyond to make sure Ella and Eve are being taken care of.”

About Us: Vickie's Angel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission of helping families fighting cancer who cannot pay their bills because of going through cancer treatment. The foundation’s goal is to take away the financial worry from the family, providing a temporary bridge that allows them to focus entirely on beating this disease. Since 2003, Vickie’s Angel Foundation has raised over $3.2 million and helped more than 2,000 families. Importantly, 100% of all online donations, and monies received at our walk; along with 100% o