03/20/2023
The Obituary of Christopher Russel Evanosky
Christopher Russel Evanosky was born on November 5, 2001, in Naperville, Illinois, and transitioned to be with Jesus on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Christopher was the twin brother of John Evanosky, who passed away on December 27, 2016, and the older brother of Jack Evanosky. Christopher, John and Jack all were diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy, also known as MLD, a terminal genetic disease, when the twins were three and Jack was one. At the time, the doctors said they would likely not live past the age of six, but through love, good medical care and determination, they surpassed their life expectancies.
Christopher was a determined, resilient boy who always gave his all. He was fiercely independent and had a mischievous grin. In his brief life, Christopher enacted more change than many people who live four times longer. He inspired his parents to become involved in newborn screening legislation, passing the first law in the State of Illinois and in the United States in 2007 and 2009 to screen for five rare diseases similar to MLD. Until now, a newborn screening test for MLD was unavailable, but scientific advances have allowed a test to be developed that can detect MLD at birth. The family is working with the Illinois legislature to enact a law that will mandate MLD screening for every baby in Illinois. Because of this, the family hopes that in the future no other family will have to experience the tragic consequences of this disease.
Christopher enjoyed watching movies, going on bike rides and walks, being outside, and listening to music and books. His nurses turned him into a Chicago Cubs fan and he spent many afternoons watching or listening to games. Christopher truly fought the good fight, but at the end, his body was unable to overcome his physical challenges, and he went home to be with Jesus, John-John, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Nancy. Bob and Sonya were grateful that they were able to be with him at the end and let him know that he had done a good job and it was okay to move on.
The family invites you to join them in celebrating Christopher’s incredible life on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home at 44 S. Mill Street in Naperville. Visitation will be from 1:00-3:00 pm, and the family encourages you to share your favorite memory of Christopher. After the visitation, you are welcome to stay for a service honoring Christopher at 3:00 PM. At the conclusion of the service, the family will host a celebration party at Aspen Lane Winery (http://www.aspenlanewinecompany.com), located at 3682 Prairie Lake Court in Aurora; you can enter through the red door to the left of the white tent (the winery is about a 10-minute drive from the funeral home).
Everyone is invited to join the family on Monday, March 27, 2023, at 2:00 pm, when Christopher will be laid to rest next to John-John at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, 675 US-30, Aurora, IL 60543, http://lincoln-memorialpark.com/ . Upon entering the cemetery stay to your left and drive up a slight hill; look for the tent on the left.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Christopher’s memory may be made to The Evanosky Foundation to support nursing scholarships, because excellent nursing care is one of the main reasons that Christopher was able to live a quality life. Checks can be mailed to: The Evanosky Foundation, 234 Aspen Lane, Aurora, IL 60504, (331) 250-1123. To give online, go to https://evanoskyfoundation.org/donate
We Win in The End.
