Tip of the Month Recipient | The Maddox Elking Family

All tips given during the last two weeks of February and the month of March will be donated to the Maddox Elking family of Celina. Maddox is 9 years old, the son of Chris Elking and Brooke Zumberge, and the brother to Mahalie (15), William (3), and Kyrah (8 months). Maddox is a 3rd grade student at Celina Elementary School.

At the beginning of June 2025, Maddox began complaining of his stomach hurting on and off. Brooke would often ask him the common mom questions related to his stomachaches, but the pain did not seem to bother Maddox, as he was still a very active child throughout the summer. In July, Brooke began to monitor Maddox more closely and noticed that he was not eating as much as usual and often would lie in his bed for most of the day. On July 11, Maddox returned home from a vacation. That night, he again complained about his stomach hurting, and Brooke noticed that he had a slight temperature. She gave him some medicine, hoping he would sleep it off. However, the next day, Maddox and his family went to spend time with their cousins, who were home, and Brooke noticed that Maddox was not himself and decided to take him to the Coldwater ER.

The doctors ran various tests; Maddox’s bloodwork came back concerning, so they decided to perform a CT scan. After the scan, it was soon discovered that Maddox had an enlarged liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. He was immediately transferred to Dayton Children’s Hospital and was admitted for 3 days with more scans and tests scheduled. Maddox was sent home after all his procedures were completed and awaited the results. On July 24, Maddox received results and was diagnosed with stage 4 Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma. Maddox had to have a port put in for chemotherapy infusions, which he received throughout the fall.

Maddox has spent time in and out of the hospital over the past couple of months due to complications, but he is currently undergoing scans to hopefully pronounce him cancer-free!

Maddox enjoys playing soccer, football, hunting, wrestling, and hanging out with his friends. Let us keep the Elking family in our prayers. Your generous donations will help pay for Maddox’s ongoing medical bills. Thank you and God Bless!

Mid-February to March 2026