Jennifer Westdyke of Edison found out her son Jeffrey likely had hydrocephalus when she was 20 weeks pregnant. Her son, now 9, has battled the disease since birth, undergoing his first brain surgery when he was 3 years old and another two since then.

To raise awareness about this incurable brain condition, the Westdyke family is hosting a Funding a Cure for Hydrocephalus Pasta Dinner with the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation on Sunday, Nov. 22, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Edison Elks 2487 at 375 Old Post Road in Edison.

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which the primary characteristic is excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Some people think of hydrocephalus as “water on the brain;” however it is actually cerebrospinal fluid — a clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, according to the institute.

Hydrocephalus can be acquired or congenital. The congenital form is present at birth and may be caused by either genetics or events that occurred during fetal development. Acquired hydrocephalus can develop at the time of birth or at some other point after because of injury or disease.

“There hasn’t been any new technology in a long time,” said Westdyke. “They are still using the same shunt technology from the 1950s.”

She said compared to others with the disease, her son has been fortunate; he is highly functioning, attends regular classes in school and hadn’t had many surgeries. “My son is not the norm. There are many children who have had 30 or 40 surgeries and have had many other problems as a result,” she said.

Hydrocephalus is generally treated by surgically inserting a shunt system that diverts the flow of cerebrospinal fluid to another area of the body where it can be absorbed as part of the normal circulatory process.

The family’s goal with the pasta dinner is to raise awareness about the disease and money to help research.

“Hydrocephalus is an incurable brain condition that affects one in ever 500 newborns, and over a million Americans,” she said. “Adults affected include veterans coming home and football players with head injuries.”

The pasta dinner will feature homemade food, entertainment and more.

“My mom and I rolled 500 meatballs, and my friend makes a great salad that everyone comes back for more,” along with homemade desserts, she said. “We have a DJ, face painting, basket raffles, a 50-50 and vendors, who donate profits. It should be a very fun evening.”

There will be a special appearance by MJX & The 2 Bad Crew Special Needs Dance Class.

It’s all you can eat, and tickets are $10 per adult and $5 per child (4 and younger are no charge).

The Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation was founded in New Jersey in 2009 by four families, each having a child with this incurable brain condition, said Michael Illions, the organization’s vice president and director of advocacy. The non-profit charitable organization’s goal is to raise awareness about hydrocephalus and provide support to families, friends and children affected by the condition.

“This is our fifth dinner to raise money,” he said. “We have been very successful in the past, drawing professional wrestlers doing autograph signings, dignitaries, even members of congress. The money is used for research. All of the money goes to that, as we are an all volunteer organization with no salaries.”

The Woodbridge resident’s son, Cole, was born with hydrocephalus, and he and his wife are among the organization’s founders.

“We are hoping to raise $5,000,” Illions added. “It’s just one of the many events we do.”

Other events include the annual New Jersey Walk & Family Fun Day for Hydrocephalus Awareness, which took place in September. This year’s drew 350 people and raised more than $27,000 to fund research projects for better treatment options and to find a cure.

“We donate to hospitals all across the country,” Illions said of how the funds raises are disbursed. “They send us research grant applications, and we evaluate each one.”

His son, at the age of 10, already has had 13 surgeries.

“It really ranges how much children are affected,” he added. “Not every child is the same. There is the possibility of global developmental delays. Some are more affected than others. My son is completely nonverbal.”

Oftentimes, too, problems occur with the shunt, and it has to be fixed or redone. Sometimes surgeries can result in development delays or other complications.

Westdyke said her son didn’t often talk about how having hydrocephalus had affected him. But earlier this year he did, when the the family traveled to Washington, D.C., to talk to staffers, congressman and senators about the disease.

“He said, ‘I’m scared that when I go to sleep at night, I won’t wake up in the morning.’” She added, “He gets it. I couldn’t stop crying when I heard that.”

For more information, visit www.hydrocephaluskids.org/wordpress/.

Tickets for the Nov. 22 dinner are available online at http://www.active.com/donate/phfpasta.

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