BRAIN ANEURYSM AWARENESS
Approximately 2 in 50 people have an unruptured brain aneurysm. If a brain aneurysm ruptures, blood leaks into the brain. A ruptured brain aneurysm can be fatal.
UNDERSTANDING Brain AnuersymS
Within our bodies are important blood vessels called arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the rest of our organs. If a weak spot develops along an artery wall, that artery may begin to bulge, resembling a balloon filling with air.
Aneurysm is the medical term for a bulging artery. If the bulging artery is located in your brain, it is called a brain aneurysm (also known as cerebral aneurysm).
If a brain aneurysm ruptures, meaning the bulge has burst, blood will leak into your brain. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical treatment.
While there are a number of risk factors for brain aneurysm – smoking, high blood pressure, age over 40, being a woman, alcohol or drug use, and traumatic brain injury – one risk factor not as well known is having a family history of brain aneurysm. Board member Ajay K. Wakhloo, MD, PhD, chief of neuro-interventional radiology and a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine says, “Advocating for a screening program is an important preventive measure. In our community, we see familial incidence of brain aneurysms in approximately 15 percent of people.”
Upcoming Event
TLHF 4th Annual Gala
September 19, 2020
5:30pm-10pm
Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort
Our stories
Brittney Castro
Thanks to advances in screening and treatment options, Brittney Castro is one of a growing number of people with a family history of brain aneurysm who is alive today to share her story of survival. Brittney’s paternal grandmother passed away from a ruptured aneurysm and her aunt was in her early 40s when she also passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm.
Jaydon Hogan
Jaydon Hogan doesn’t like to sit still. He is an active six-year-old boy who loves playing outdoors, dressing like a cowboy and playing with toy cars and trucks. Jaydon’s mom says her son doesn’t hold back and isn’t afraid to be the first to experience something new.
Among his notable firsts, Jaydon is the first ever pediatric patient to undergo a procedure using the Pipeline™ Embolization Device for a ruptured aneurysm. Neurosurgeons at Wolfson Children’s Hospital successfully performed the procedure on Jaydon.
Lisset Bayardo
Lisset called that morning and said she had fallen in the middle of a busy street while walking to school. Lisset told Reena that she had vomited, and Reena could hear Lisset’s speech was slurred. Reena immediately went to the school where the principal and bystanders had already called 911. When she arrived, her daughter was crying and said her head hurt really badly. The signs were all too familiar and Reena knew immediately that Lisset had a ruptured brain aneurysm.
