4-Year-Old Owen Rush From South Carolina Selected as 2014
National “Face” of Hydrocephalus Awareness for Incurable Brain

Owen was diagnosed with hydrocephalus in utero at 20 weeks. We were well prepared for his arrival the week before Christmas, though nervous but exited as well. Our miracle was born at 37 weeks on December 17, 2009 with an OR full of staff and no complications. He stayed in NICU for 5 days with a small amount of feeding issues. He was discharged a few days before Christmas and we spent the rest of holidays with our family.

He had his initial VP shunt placed on January 5th and we came home 4 days later. He had his first emergency shunt malfunction on Mother’s Day 2010, his second shunt malfunction was a few weeks later on Father’s Day. Few weeks later he was back in for another shunt revision. This time they changed the shunt location and type, it was placed on the top right side of his head and programmable. All things were well until Thanksgiving 2010 he had a skull repair on his old shunt site, they used a plate and screws to fix the bone that wouldn’t seal up.

All these surgeries before our miracle turned 1 years old. He had his first seizure at 10 months old. since then hes tried 10 different medications an still having seizures on a daily basis. We traveled to Le Bonheur’s Children’s hospital in Memphis Tennessee in October 2012 and the team confirm he wasn’t a good candidate for any type of Epilepsy surgery, and were told how severe his developmental delay was after being through an intense evaluation, which we already knew and was shortly diagnosed with Autism.

We then traveled to Duke Hospital in NC for a Vagal Nerve Stimulator in August 2013 in hopes to improve his epilepsy and overall quality of life. He can’t feed himself, dress himself, he’s not toilet trained, nor can he tell you If he’s in pain or say I love you yet! He has been in Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy since he was 4 months old.

He started school when he turned 3 to a school for the most disabled children in our county. Owen has adapted very well with the routine and friends, and is most importantly loved unconditional by all the staff at his school. Despite Owen’s disabilities he never stops smiling or wanting hugs.