{"id":39158,"date":"2025-07-28T14:09:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T18:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hydroassoc.org\/?p=39158"},"modified":"2025-07-31T13:23:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:23:29","slug":"running-for-a-cure-hydrocephalus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hydroassoc.org\/running-for-a-cure-hydrocephalus\/","title":{"rendered":"Running For A Cure: Spreading Hope for Hydrocephalus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Running Toward Awareness: A Mother\u2019s Journey After Her Son\u2019s Hydrocephalus Diagnosis<\/h3>\n

\"\"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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

This diagnosis opened me up to a world I never\u00a0expected to learn about. The more I learned while navigating my son\u2019s journey, the more I realized the uncertainty that so many individuals face. I felt compelled to spread awareness about this condition \u2013 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\u2026 I ran.<\/p>\n

Turning Miles Into Meaning: Running for Hydrocephalus Awareness<\/h3>\n

\"Hydrocephalus<\/p>\n

What started out as just running in hydrocephalus awareness shirts and to \u201cget a breath of fresh air\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Supporting the WALK to End Hydrocephalus<\/h3>\n

Although my family was unable to attend the first \u201cWALK to End Hydrocephalus<\/a>\u201d, I signed up as a virtual walker so there would be a place for my donations to go. I\u2019m so excited to attend my first WALK this year for hydrocephalus.<\/p>\n

\"Hope<\/p>\n

Raising Awareness Through Creative Fundraising<\/h3>\n

To raise funds and awareness, I sold \u201cshunt happens\u201d and \u201cNo More BS\u201d shirts to my local running friends. It was a movement that was so encouraging to see!<\/p>\n

Even now, I still see people wearing them on the running trails, and I smile thinking of the conversations they are creating.<\/p>\n

Joining the Hydrocephalus Association Endurance Program<\/h3>\n

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<\/a> to raise money and awareness for hydrocephalus during the Marine Corps Marathon<\/a>. I felt like in that moment, God was telling me, This Is it<\/i>\u2014here is your next run<\/i>! 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\u2019m excited to run with a team of individuals all running towards the same goal: raising awareness for this condition.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h2>\n

Finding Strength and Purpose in Every Step<\/h3>\n

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!<\/p>\n

Join the Movement: Turn Your Passion Into Purpose<\/h3>\n

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\u2019re passionate about with a cause you care deeply for. If running isn\u2019t your thing, I challenge you to think about what it would look like to combine something you<\/i> love with a cause, bringing a whole new meaning and sense of purpose to your activity.<\/p>\n

Why wait? Get started now.<\/a><\/p>\n\r\n

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