Gabriel's Life

Last month, the California-based Hydrocephalus Association held its 11th Annual Hydrocephalus Conference, with presentations on pregnancy and hydrocephalus, shunt problems and varieties, and more. One exciting presentation–featured recently on the association’s website–highlighted the peculiar difficulties adolescent patients face as they make the already-awkward transition from childhood to adulthood. Given from a medical expert’s perspective, the presentation focuses on the large amount of awareness and maturity a hydrocephalitic teen must foster in order to make it through the difficult changes ahead.”

As Portland, Ore. gears up for its first annual walk for hydrocephalus, one four-year-old survivor of the condition spreads the inspiration necessary to keep his family and neighbors hopeful for better awareness one day. The Gresham Outlook recently featured young Grant Miller in a story, highlighting his precocious nature and his family, who organized the area’s first charitable walk. “In a show of solidarity with Grant and the 1 million Americans with the condition, the family is organizing the Portland”

Riding on the swell of support and success of last year’s event, the Team Hydro group is preparing itself for another swim across the freezing San Francisco Bay in order to raise awareness of the challenges faced by patients and families with hydrocephalus. Dubbed “Shark Fest 2010″ promises to be the most exciting event yet for the ever-growing charitable group. Started by brothers Peter and Sam Finlayson, the swim enters its third year with hopes to raise even more money”

While the world has lived in 2010 for a few months now, the international hydrocephalus community is gearing up to begin a new year of collective hope, awareness, research and achievement with an exciting slate of conferences. In the past organizations have hosted inspiring national and international events design for individuals with hydrocephalus, their families and medical professionals, all three of which are actively engaged in the hydro community. Featuring seminars related to clinical trials and research, family/parenting/employment issues, assessment”

As announced last week, GabrielsLife.org is excited to talk to and ask questions of renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Edwards next week. With only seven days left until the March 9 video interview, Gabriel’s Life needs your input of what to ask the doctor. A quick browse through our community-driven Forums might get the wheels turning, and already lend a great variety of topics to discuss with Dr. Edwards. -how common is chronic fatigue with hydrocephalus and what are the”

In two weeks, Gabriel’s Life will have the pleasure of hosting a video interview with Dr. Michael Edwards, a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Stanford and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, and we all calling for submissions of the various questions, concerns and confusions you would love Dr. Edwards to answer! The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is a non-profit, world-recognized hospital whose mission is singularly focused on the care of babies, children, and adolescents, along with expectant mothers. Many visitors to GabrielsLife.org”

With hopes to increase participation on GabrielsLife.org, this Web site will soon begin posting interesting and educating video interviews with the doctors, organizers, survivors and volunteers who have helped change the face–and story–of hydrocephalus. From surgeons who save lives daily and implant critical shunts, to heads of hydrocephalus non-profits, viewers will be able to find answers to the questions that have plagued their lives with confusion, angst and fear. By emailing, tweeting or facebooking specific questions you have, Gabriel’s Life”

As National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month comes to a close, a couple of cities in the United States are hosting very successful walks for hydrocephalus this weekend. Activists in Long Island and Salt Lake City are raising the bar for involvement and awareness of hydrocephalus with their walks this Saturday, Sept. 26. The walks have already raised $13,905 and $21,784 in the Utah and New York cities, respectively. If you want to become involved and join the events, check out the”

Just two weeks after Gabriel’s Life first reported the news, the United States House of Representatives definitely passed a resolution declaring September as National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. With a voice vote on July 29, the House passed H.Res 373–a resolution with a multitude of sponsors and supporters–officially honoring September as the month America would come together to learn about, remember, and reflect on the impact hydrocephalus has on the millions of lives it touches each day. While the resolution finally”

Tom Linthicum ranks among the few bold swimmers who have stroked their way across the entire length of the frigid Lake Tahoe. But when he made that 21-mile journey back in 2006, Linthicum had a specific purpose in mind: to swim for his two daughters, both of whom live with hydrocephalus. “The night before the swim I spoke to my 18-year-old daughter, Emily, only to find out she had suffered a seizure that day. Her medicine wasn’t working,” Linthicum told”