“It’s like stabbing you in your head. For migraines it’s horrible, and I went to the emergency room countless times,” Lauryn Freeman said.

Lauryn learned last year that these were more than painful headaches. A Cat scan revealed a large amount of water on her brain, and she was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus.

“I knew what it was, I knew what to expect, I knew how hard it could be so I was devastated,” Lauryn’s mother Rebekah Wright said.

Hydrocephalus, also known as “Water-head” is when spinal fluid that is normally in your head builds up and it’s not able to drain. Treatment for Lauryn meant having surgery to get a shunt put into her head.

“By putting the shunt in place, you can actually set it so the pressure will be where you want it to be at, for that to actually let spinal fluid drain. So the pressure won’t get too high in her head and cause further damage in terms of brain injury or complications such as headaches or vision changes,” Lauryn’s doctor, Pediatric Neurologist Dr. John Flatt said.

Since her diagnosis, Lauryn’s mother has started the first Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation chapter in Louisiana. She’s currently organizing its first fundraiser, and it will be held March 27th at the Icegators’ playoff game. If you use the code “Ice” you get tickets to the game for 10 dollars, and one dollar from each ticket will be donated to the organization.