Brain Research Initiative for Generating Healthier Treatment

Fundraising effort for brain disease research

Run by students Sarah Lawrence and Hannah Roush

About one in three people are affected by neurological conditions, which is almost three billion people worldwide. As more people are affected by brain diseases, research for their cures becomes even more imperative. Our cause is to raise money for the American Brain Foundation, a non-profit that is working toward a future without brain disease. If you want to learn more about the American Brain Foundation, visit https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/.

Sarah's Story

Hi, my name is Sarah Lawrence. I’m a student at Copley High School and I participate in a lot of activities like cross country/track and field, Science Olympiad, and Key Club just to name a few. I have had a pretty normal life, that was until I started having unbearable headaches in January 2022. By that March, I could barely keep my eyes open and would often not be able to keep food down. On April 5, 2022, I got an MRI that led to a whirlwind in which I was rushed to the emergency room and was told I needed emergency brain surgery. I had obstructive hydrocephalus, which is a condition where the fluid in my brain was not able to flow correctly. The next morning on April 6, 2022, I had ETV surgery where my neurosurgeon created a new hole in my brain for the fluid to flow. Now, over two years later, the ETV thankfully hasn’t failed, so I’m going to be able to live a long, healthy life with few complications from my cured disease. Many are not as lucky as me, with many brain diseases and disorders having no effective cures. That is why I am on this journey to raise money for brain disease research. Follow along as we build this fundraiser and announce events coming soon.

Hannahs Story

Hi my name is Hannah Roush and I am also a student at Copley High School. I am a member of the girls golf team and I participate in activities like Science Olympiad, band, and Chem club to name a few. While I, myself, have not had a brain disease, this past year someone very close to me had to go through the trials of one. In mid December of 2023 my dad had a seizure which resulted in him being rushed to the hospital for a bunch if tests. Using a spinal tap, he was diagnosed with fungal menigitis, which is a rare fungal infection of areas around the brain and spine. Fungal meningitis can be fatal but the doctors said that it was caught early enough to hopefully treat. They started my dad on a lot of meds, some antifungal, that would over time hopefully lead to a full recovery. Today, six months later, we are seeing some improvement in my dad's health, but there is still a ways to go. My dad was lucky enough to have this caught early so it can be treated, but it has still been a long and sometimes difficult recovery process. By working on this fundraiser, I hope to raise money so that researchers can develop more efficient treatment methods for diseases like fungal menigits, and so they can also work on discovering cures for the brain diseases that currently are untreatable. Follow along and share this as we build this fundraiser and announce events coming soon!