Evan Ellison has never been able to clear Marcia’s voice out of his head.

Considering it was the tender voice of his adopted mother that saved his life, how could he?

When Evan was born three months premature to a crack-cocaine-addicted mother who couldn’t care for him, Marcia ignored doctors who told her the baby showed no will to live. She kept coming back to the neonatal ICU each day to sit with the tiny infant and remind him matter-of-factly, “You’ve got to do better than this, so we can go home.”

Evan’s birth mother, who had two other children and had been in and out of Atlanta-area drug-rehab centers several times, determined she would not be able to take care of him. The adoption agency she had worked with would not accept a premature baby with so many medical difficulties, so she asked Marcia, a nurse for a social services program, if she would adopt the baby.

“I hated the thought of a child growing up in family services or a foster home,” Marcia said. “I had no children and hadn’t thought about having any, but when I saw him I just felt like I needed to take him as mine.”

The first time Marcia held Evan, he weighed 3 pounds, 9 ounces and fit so snugly into the palm of her hand that she could still see the tips of her fingers.

“I’m a nurse, but I had never seen a human life so small,” Marcia said. “He was the size of a newborn puppy.”

Now a senior on McCallie’s track and field team, Evan will compete in four sprint events in the Division II state meet today. It is the third year he will race in the Spring Fling, and he already owns a state title in the 400-meter run.

Every time he paces near the starting blocks before an event, Evan hears Marcia’s voice, questioning whether he has prepared enough to win.

“Marcia is my mom,” Evan said. “She didn’t give birth to me, but she’s the reason I’m alive today. She saved me and believed in me when nobody else did.

“My birth mom knew where I was the whole time and never tried to contact me. I’m an understanding person, but that was pretty deep to think she gave me up. I was angry, and I’m still upset about it. But I know her difficulties, and I can’t stay mad at her because she’s still going through tough times. I’m better off that I have a mom like I do.”

Adopting Evan prompted Marcia’s employer to fire her because of a policy against becoming personally involved in a case. One of Evan’s earliest childhood memories is tagging along with her to her second job because she couldn’t arrange for a baby sitter.

Health problems plagued Evan’s childhood. He required medication to help strengthen his stomach muscle and allow him to digest food properly, and until four years ago he was a frequent patient at an Atlanta-area cardiac clinic. He didn’t learn to walk until he was 2, but then it was difficult for Marcia to keep up with the overly rambunctious boy, who was later diagnosed with severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“It’s hard for me to believe it’s the same child when I watch him race now,” Marcia said. “It amazes me. It makes my heart happy to see how he’s grown and adjusted. It had been suggested that he go to a school for children with disability, and now he’s an A and B student and one of the fastest runners in the state with a full scholarship (to Lynchburg College).”

McCallie’s faculty and coaching staff helped provide the male role models Evan had lacked. By his junior year he was praised for his work and positive attitude with kids as a camp counselor at the school.

“My mom always wanted me to be independent and venture out, which is why I came to McCallie,” Evan said. “She wanted me to be prepared for anything. That’s why I still get nervous before every race, because I’m always wondering if I’ve done enough to win. That doubt pushes me, because I really want to do well and make it.

“I know that my mom sacrificed a lot just for me to be here and have this opportunity. When I look at her, I can’t help thinking what she did for me and how lucky I am that God was watching over me and sent her to take care of me.”

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