Welcome to the Donation Page of the
Peters/Warren Family My Fundraising Goal: $450.00 Money Raised to Date: $318.00 If you are unable to donate online, please print out a donation form. Join me in my efforts to support Hydrocephalus Association South Florida WALK! Why WALK? We WALK because we want to make a difference. By spreading the word and fundraising, we show people living with the challenges of hydrocephalus that they are not alone. We are more than hopeful to find a cure; we are determined. Please help us reach our goal! To donate by credit card, click the Donate button at the top of this page. Hydrocephalus and You Contrary to popular belief anyone can get hydrocephalus at any age. Hydrocephalus does not discriminate and there is no cure. 1 to 2 of every 1,000 babies are born with hydrocephalus. It is the most common reason for brain surgery among children. An estimated 5% of Alzheimer�s patients have misdiagnosed hydrocephalus. 1 shunt surgery takes place every 15 minutes. 50% of shunts fail within 2 years. Hydrocephalus Association HA's mission is to eliminate the challenges of hydrocephalus by stimulating innovative research and providing support and education for individuals, families and professionals dealing with the condition. |
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My Story
My hydrocephalus story
My name is Kimberly Warren. If you were to see me on the street you wouldn’t think I was someone who was born with hydrocephalus. I am very friendly, I like being around people, I like to play my violin, I like writing to my correspondence children through Compassion International, I like going to school for Multimedia Design, and I want to pursue a career in radio broadcasting. Not someone you could say has a life threatening medical condition. However, if you were to walk up to ask me what makes me unique from the rest of the world, I would say that I have a shunt; and I have had 9 brain surgeries to date.
But, I would also tell you that because of my hydrocephalus, I am the person I am today. Not just in a physical sense, but also in an emotional and spiritual sense. Because of my hydrocephalus, I can see the world through a different pair of eyes that not many get to see. I have learned patience. It takes allot to make me lose my patience. (Please don’t test that out!) I have learned that with the life we are given, we shouldn’t take it for granted. For one moment, I am just an average 21 year old just trying to live in the same world as you, and then in an instant, my world can turn upside down because my shunt could break. It has taught me that Jesus created me for a purpose. Whenever I am discouraged and I feel like I can’t possibly make it through another day, God is constantly whispering to me that I can make it. When I was 16 years old, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I had had 2 surgeries that year and the last one I was scared I wasn’t going to make it. The doctors couldn’t figure out why I was so sick yet all my CT scans and MRIs came back normal. Little did they realize, my shunt was over draining. And I cried. I was loosing the ability to do all the things that I had taken for granted, and I couldn’t understand why I was feeling the way I was. But, the day before thanksgiving in 2007, I was in the ICU with my shunt externalized and an ICP monitor in my head, and they discovered that the pressure in my brain was in the negatives. And that day they did surgery on me to fix my shunt. I woke up in tears because I felt so much better. And I was like, “There has to be someone up there that is looking out for me. Because we all thought I was going to die. But I didn’t. Why? Then you must exist. And I am going to put my trust in you Lord for you saved me from this, so you can save me from anything.” And I was in a hospital bed all alone on Thanksgiving Day when I gave my life to Christ. For I realized, I could not have gotten this far if it wasn’t for Him and His ability to save me.”
If I knew someone (a kid or an adult) was going to through the stages of discovering they have hydrocephalus, I would tell them that they can do it. It might be hard at first, and it will be. With hydrocephalus, there are so many uncertainties and to have your body poked and prodded over and over again, really takes a major toll on not only your body, but your emotions as well. I would also tell them that whatever happens, there is hope on the other side. Even in the smallest thing, you can find hope. When you think, “I don’t think I will ever get better.” Just think “I am alive. And there is a reason I am here. And whatever that reason is, I will be able to say “I did it!” “
Hydrocephalus is a constant battle in my life. I have 3 sisters and 4 brothers, and I am the only one that has hydrocephalus. A few years ago, my grandma was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. It was interesting for me because for the first time in my life, I could see from the outside what someone with hydrocephalus symptoms looked like. It amazed me. She would ask me questions, and I might not have had all the answers, but I knew where to look. And I feel safer around her knowing that if I were to get sick, she has a neurosurgeon that could see me. I feel that I could help her through her hydro needs because I went through them and I can give her support. And she didn’t have to feel alone.
What hydrocephalus means to me is the ability to hope and believe in Christ beyond all comprehension. And to know that the storm may last for a second, but the reward will last a lifetime.
My name is Kimberly Warren. If you were to see me on the street you wouldn’t think I was someone who was born with hydrocephalus. I am very friendly, I like being around people, I like to play my violin, I like writing to my correspondence children through Compassion International, I like going to school for Multimedia Design, and I want to pursue a career in radio broadcasting. Not someone you could say has a life threatening medical condition. However, if you were to walk up to ask me what makes me unique from the rest of the world, I would say that I have a shunt; and I have had 9 brain surgeries to date.
But, I would also tell you that because of my hydrocephalus, I am the person I am today. Not just in a physical sense, but also in an emotional and spiritual sense. Because of my hydrocephalus, I can see the world through a different pair of eyes that not many get to see. I have learned patience. It takes allot to make me lose my patience. (Please don’t test that out!) I have learned that with the life we are given, we shouldn’t take it for granted. For one moment, I am just an average 21 year old just trying to live in the same world as you, and then in an instant, my world can turn upside down because my shunt could break. It has taught me that Jesus created me for a purpose. Whenever I am discouraged and I feel like I can’t possibly make it through another day, God is constantly whispering to me that I can make it. When I was 16 years old, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I had had 2 surgeries that year and the last one I was scared I wasn’t going to make it. The doctors couldn’t figure out why I was so sick yet all my CT scans and MRIs came back normal. Little did they realize, my shunt was over draining. And I cried. I was loosing the ability to do all the things that I had taken for granted, and I couldn’t understand why I was feeling the way I was. But, the day before thanksgiving in 2007, I was in the ICU with my shunt externalized and an ICP monitor in my head, and they discovered that the pressure in my brain was in the negatives. And that day they did surgery on me to fix my shunt. I woke up in tears because I felt so much better. And I was like, “There has to be someone up there that is looking out for me. Because we all thought I was going to die. But I didn’t. Why? Then you must exist. And I am going to put my trust in you Lord for you saved me from this, so you can save me from anything.” And I was in a hospital bed all alone on Thanksgiving Day when I gave my life to Christ. For I realized, I could not have gotten this far if it wasn’t for Him and His ability to save me.”
If I knew someone (a kid or an adult) was going to through the stages of discovering they have hydrocephalus, I would tell them that they can do it. It might be hard at first, and it will be. With hydrocephalus, there are so many uncertainties and to have your body poked and prodded over and over again, really takes a major toll on not only your body, but your emotions as well. I would also tell them that whatever happens, there is hope on the other side. Even in the smallest thing, you can find hope. When you think, “I don’t think I will ever get better.” Just think “I am alive. And there is a reason I am here. And whatever that reason is, I will be able to say “I did it!” “
Hydrocephalus is a constant battle in my life. I have 3 sisters and 4 brothers, and I am the only one that has hydrocephalus. A few years ago, my grandma was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. It was interesting for me because for the first time in my life, I could see from the outside what someone with hydrocephalus symptoms looked like. It amazed me. She would ask me questions, and I might not have had all the answers, but I knew where to look. And I feel safer around her knowing that if I were to get sick, she has a neurosurgeon that could see me. I feel that I could help her through her hydro needs because I went through them and I can give her support. And she didn’t have to feel alone.
What hydrocephalus means to me is the ability to hope and believe in Christ beyond all comprehension. And to know that the storm may last for a second, but the reward will last a lifetime.
Thank you!