11-Year-Old from Rossville, Michigan Aiden Smith Selected as 2023 National Ambassador of Hydrocephalus Awareness for Incurable Brain Condition

Roseville, MI- Just 11 years old and already a four-time brain surgery survivor, Aiden developed an incurable brain condition known has Hydrocephalus, which is the number one cause of pediatric brain surgery, which is the only treatment option.

Aiden is a former 28-weeker, and a twin. He was born 9/26/2011 in Detroit. He spent 4 months in the NICU at the hospital he was born at and then was transferred out to Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan where he was for another 3 months before coming home for the first time a day before he turned 7 months. Unfortunately, Aiden’s twin sister Elise was stillborn, and his older sister Amelia also passed away, she was 23.6 weeks. Due to the prematurity, Aiden was resuscitated at birth which was what started his medical journey. Due to being resuscitated, Aiden developed epilepsy, cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus.

Aiden was selected as one of two children to serve as this year’s “National Ambassador of Hydrocephalus Awareness”, for the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, to help raise the level of awareness and education about Hydrocephalus in the United States. Aiden will represent the boys, while 2-year-old Annalise Strasel, also from Michigan, will represent the girls.

Aiden enjoys music, swinging, swimming, biking, going for walks. He has been to a Detroit Lions pre-season game, Detroit Pistons games, Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live, University of Michigan football and a couple Detroit Tigers games.

Aiden’s Mom Andrea shared her thoughts about her son being named the National Ambassador of Awareness for the Hydrocephalus Community; “This is a great honor as many do not know about hydrocephalus and it allows us to bring awareness and share Aiden’s journey. As with many other medical conditions, others think it defines a person, but it doesn’t. It is part of them and is part of who they are today.”