Durango city councilors were set to approve Tuesday a proclamation drafted by Christina Brown that adds hydrocephalus to the crusades, causes and campaigns for which September is recognized.

Brown, whose son, Jaden, 4, has the condition, gained a similar proclamation last summer from Gov. John Hickenlooper. September was designated National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month by Congress in 2009.

Hydrocephalus, found in about 1 in 500 births, is a swelling of the brain caused by the accumulation of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Brown, chairwoman of the state chapter of the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, said Tuesday that a 5-kilometer walk fundraiser for the cause is scheduled Sept. 20 in the Three Springs area.

The 5K walk begins at 10 a.m. at the plaza, 175 Mercado St., near Mercy Regional Medical Center. Walkers can register starting at 9 a.m.

Online registration can be done at http://www.active.com/donate/phfwalkco2014

daler@durangoherald.com

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Durangoan, whose son has hydrocephalus, pressed for Colo. representatives’ support

The proclamation by Gov. John Hickenlooper designating September as Hydrocephalus Awareness Month came through the effort of a Durango woman whose son has the condition.

Christina Brown drafted a proclamation in mid-July and sent it to the governor’s office. She learned a month later it had Hickenlooper’s signature.

Brown’s son, 3½-year-old Jaden, has hydrocephalus, a swelling of the brain caused by an accumulation of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, a condition found in one in 500 births.

About 1 million adults and children in the United States have hydrocephalus.

Brown said she found support from the region’s representatives in Washington, D.C., when she visited Capitol Hill with 140 members of the national Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation last week. The contingent represented the country from coast to coast.

Brown is the founder and director of the Colorado chapter of the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation. She can be reached at christina@hydrocephaluskids.org.

She said U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton appeared receptive when she urged them to support efforts to fund hydrocephalus education and research.

Brown said Jaden is doing very well and is receiving speech, physical and occupational therapy.

Contact Christina Brown at christina@hydrocephaluskids.org for more information.

The mother of a 28-month-old Durango boy with hydrocephalus has taken on the leadership of the Colorado chapter of the national Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, a support group with a presence in 25 states.

“I’m promoting awareness of hydrocephalus and raising funds for research,” Christina Brown said Friday. “There is no cure now, which is unacceptable.”

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. This can cause pressure in the skull, resulting in enlargement of the head, convulsion, tunnel vision, mental disability and possibly death.

The first fundraiser for Brown’s group is set for Sept. 23, when participants will bowl at Rolling Thunder Lanes at the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio.

Brown began gathering information on hydrocephalus when a pediatrician recommended during a well-baby check at 4 months that her son, Jaden, be tested for a neurological disease. Examinations revealed that he had hydrocephalus and hemiplegia (stroke-induced spasticity) on his right side.

She rattles off facts such as:

One in 500 newborns receives a diagnosis of hydrocephalus.

The disease can be congenital or acquired.

Hydrocephalus is the No. 1 reason for pediatric brain surgery.

Americans spend $1 billion a year on treatment for hydrocephalus.

Research into diabetes is funded at $6 per person, hydrocephalus at 30 cents per person.

Brown was in Washington for two days two weeks ago with other families who have children with hydrocephalus to educate legislators and others about the disease and promote research.

“There were 20 families from 14 states,” Brown said. “We’ll contact them again next year for funding for research.”

Josh Green, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, said the group left a packet of information for the congressman. Tipton wasn’t in the capital at the time.

Brown knows four families and one adult in Durango who have hydrocephalus in the family. She said there are about 30 similar families in the Four Corners.

“Jaden is fine,” Brown said. “He just had surgery as a result of being tongue-tied and is doing well.”

The recently formed hydrocephalus chapter held its first meeting in July. The next meeting is from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 12 in Durango Public Library.