Running For A Cure: Spreading Hope for Hydrocephalus
Running Toward Awareness: A Mother’s Journey After Her Son’s Hydrocephalus Diagnosis
If someone had asked me two years ago what hydrocephalus was, I would have looked at them with a blank stare. But a little under two years ago, at 15 months old, my son was given this diagnosis and told he needed brain surgery to save his life. Now at 3, he has had two brain surgeries, and we live with the realization that he may need more.
This diagnosis opened me up to a world I never expected to learn about. The more I learned while navigating my son’s journey, the more I realized the uncertainty that so many individuals face. I felt compelled to spread awareness about this condition – so that one day, treatment options might be better than brain surgery. As a lifelong runner, I did the one thing I knew to raise awareness… I ran.
Turning Miles Into Meaning: Running for Hydrocephalus Awareness
What started out as just running in hydrocephalus awareness shirts and to “get a breath of fresh air” from dealing with the medical uncertainty that my son was facing turned into signing up for a 24-hour ultramarathon run to raise money and awareness.
Supporting the WALK to End Hydrocephalus
Although my family was unable to attend the first “WALK to End Hydrocephalus”, I signed up as a virtual walker so there would be a place for my donations to go. I’m so excited to attend my first WALK this year for hydrocephalus.
Raising Awareness Through Creative Fundraising
To raise funds and awareness, I sold “shunt happens” and “No More BS” shirts to my local running friends. It was a movement that was so encouraging to see!
Even now, I still see people wearing them on the running trails, and I smile thinking of the conversations they are creating.
Joining the Hydrocephalus Association Endurance Program
As my son was having his second brain surgery this past March, I sat in the waiting room scrolling through my phone. Just then, the Hydrocephalus Association (HA) sent out an email looking for individuals to run in their new Endurance Program to raise money and awareness for hydrocephalus during the Marine Corps Marathon. I felt like in that moment, God was telling me, This Is it—here is your next run! Maybe it was the emotions of waiting for my son to come out of the operating room, but I immediately submitted a request before even thinking it through. I’m excited to run with a team of individuals all running towards the same goal: raising awareness for this condition.
Finding Strength and Purpose in Every Step
Now, as I train for the Marine Corps Marathon in the fall and prepare for a few upcoming ultramarathons, people often ask me how I keep going. My response is simple: my son and countless others have to undergo multiple brain surgeries in their lifetime. Some lives are cut short, and many face ongoing complications. So, I run one more mile just for them!
Join the Movement: Turn Your Passion Into Purpose
If running is a love of yours, I invite you to join us in our Endurance Program. There is no greater feeling than to combine something you’re passionate about with a cause you care deeply for. If running isn’t your thing, I challenge you to think about what it would look like to combine something you love with a cause, bringing a whole new meaning and sense of purpose to your activity.
Why wait? Get started now.