On May 17, 2022, our world shattered when our precious little girl, Evangeline Marie Nadine Mathia, was pronounced dead from drowning at the age of 2. The only girl with four older brothers, she was the princess of her family and those who loved her plummeted into grief and despair.
Family, friends, and the community rallied to support our family in those dark days that followed. At the local county fair, a special auction raised money for our family and Santa Claus delivered our first 3D printer. With that printer, Chris found a great distraction from the empty loneliness of not having his little girl at home.
In the words of Robert Frost, “way leads on to way”; when you do a lot of 3D printing, you need to buy more filament, so you print things to sell. Chris and Jana were joined by his brothers and their wives, AJ and Heather, and Jance and Kelly, who shared an interest in 3D printing and the pain of losing Evangeline.
After nearly selling out at our first Renaissance Fair, we realized the potential of selling 3D printed toys and have grown from there. In addition to our website store, Eva’s 3D Prints are sold at The Small Biz Shoppe at the River Park Square mall in Spokane, WA, and various events and fairs in our local region.
We can’t give toys to our little girl, but we take solace and joy in the smiles on the faces of those who find enjoyment in our toys.
We are a family, with various jobs, hobbies, and interests. Our story of finding a new outlet in our grief and sharing it is not a unique one; while 3D printing can never fill the hole left by our beloved Evangeline, it helps us heal and keep moving forward until the day we are all reunited with her.
The joy she brought into our lives is gone, but we find happiness in seeing the smiles of children playing with their new little friend or pet. Every toy and smile helps us honor our precious angel.
If you are experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one, we urge you to seek the support and help available in your local community and church. Above all else, we are sustained by our faith in Christ and the firm belief that families are forever and we will all live together in the eternities with those dearest to us.
