I was going to talk about these two events soon after they
happened, but I was taking a break from writing when I attended both of them.
This past November I participated in the Phoenix Hydrocephalus Walk for the
second time. Also in October I participated in a local event in Tucson, the
Great Pumpkin Race.
The Phoenix Hydrocephalus walk is one of many charity walks
for Hydrocephalus that the Hydrocephalus Association puts together each year.
Each walk is put together by volunteers who live in the area. I’m unsure of how
much was raised all together in 2012 from the walks. But the Phoenix Walk alone
raised 28k this year, over 10k than the year before. Like the year before, it
was one of the first times I’ve been part of something where there were many
people around with Hydrocephalus and I’m still getting used to hearing the word
“Hydrocephalus” spoken outside of close family and doctors, even when it’s
brought up when I’m with friends or coworkers. This year I had the opportunity
to meet a “Facebook friend” and her family. She has two kids (twins) that both
have Hydrocephalus.
The second event I attended was The Great Pumpkin Race. It’s
an annual 5k race/walk that’s put on near Tucson at Bucklew Farm. It’s an event
that has been held each year since 2006. It’s put together by another “Facebook
friend” that I met for the first time in person during the event, Thomas
Tronsdal. His son has Hydrocephalus, and
the money raised during the event goes to University of Arizona Medical Center’s
Department of Surgery and Neurology. The race goes through the farm fields and
ends in the corn maze. This year like with Hydrocephalus Walk, was a big
success with over 700 people attending.
If you or a loved one has Hydrocephalus has it, and you live
near a larger city in the United States, then I encourage you to participate in
a Hydrocephalus Walk, Support Group or whatever is involved in your area. You
don’t have to necessarily raise money, but it’s a great opportunity to do so.
Just by meeting others with the same condition it will give you a whole
different perspective on living with Hydrocephalus and going through what you
have to. Thanks for reading :)
The first link is for
the Hydrocephalus association where you can find events behind held near your
area, and get more information about current studies, general information, and
more.
The second link is for
the Phoenix Hydrocephalus Walk.
The third link is for
the Great Pumpkin Race.
The fourth link is for
The Arizona chapter of The Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation. It’s new so
there’s no other link I could find for it other than it’s Facebook page. The
Chapter Director is yet another person that I’ve met on Facebook, but it’s
someone that I haven’t met in person, at least not yet.
