The shunt was always thought of as a cure, but the treatment hasn’t changed for decades, and is hugely problematic for patients. It’s managed with a shunt, which is made up of a valve and a catheter (a thin tube) that acts as plumbing, diverting excess fluid in the brain to other parts of the body where it’s naturally reabsorbed. Hydrocephalus is as common as Down syndrome - 1 in 700 children suffer from the life-threatening condition. The No More Brain Surgeries (#NoMoreBS) campaign - which relaunches this June through the Hydrocephalus Association - will educate the public about the condition, and advocate for research into new treatments through community events across the country. “No more BS!” she thought, then decided to take her frustration public. “Dozens of surgeries in a lifetime is no way to live,” says Garzon, who is now the national director of program services and communications at the Hydrocephalus Association. For the 16 th time, Garzon waited helplessly as her teenage daughter went through brain surgery. Garzon couldn’t believe it was happening, again. It could be a sign a patient’s shunt, a medical device implanted in the brain to drain built-up fluid, is failing. Then Gabby got a headache.įor those like Gabby with hydrocephalus, a condition also known as “water on the brain,” it’s hard to know if a headache is just a headache. Her daughter, Gabby, was a sophomore in high school, and had even made it on the honor roll.
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