Doctors are now saying the surgery on 6-year-old Evelyn appears to have been a success.

NewsChannel5 was in the operating room during the risky surgery and when the family in the process of adopting the girl got the good news.

A team of 15 doctors and nurses spent eight hours removing the softball-sized brain tumor that filled two-thirds of Evelyn's head.

The surgery began at 7 a.m., and just after 3 p.m., chief of pediatric neurosurgery Dr. Alan Cohen briefed the family adopting Evelyn.

The large tumor turned out to be benign, which is good news, Cohen said.

"Well, it was an enormous tumor -- good turnout -- we're very pleased with that," he said.

"This morning she was trying to dance, and now someday she might dance. It's amazing," said Evelyn's adoptive mother, Cindy Knutson.

Cohen said Evelyn is waking up nicely from her surgery, but the next 24 hours are very important.