6th Annual HUGS of Florida, Inc. Hydrocephalus Walk a Huge Success!

Online, November 8, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The 6th Annual HUGS of Florida, Inc. Family Fun Day and Walk for Hydrocephalus was a huge success raising $10,114.24 for local families affected by this condition. Almost 200 people braved the cool 50s temperatures on Saturday, November 6th, 2010 in Largo Central Park to raise awareness and come together to unite for this cause. HUGS of Florida, Inc. founder, Paula Keyser started this Largo based organization because of her son Jeremy who is nine. When Jeremy was born, he had a brain bleed prior to birth that caused his Hydrocephalus. Jeremy did not walk until he was 27 months old and did not talk until he was 4-1/2. But he's now in 3rd Grade and doing wonderfully.

There was face-painting, Mrs. Florida America, Kellie Lightbourn, Star Wars characters from the 501st and Rebel Legions, and the Pinellas County Sheriff helicopter even flew over to say hello. While addressing the crowd at the walk on Saturday, Paula said 'I actually feel lucky that Jeremy has only had three brain surgeries'. Currently, the only treatment for this condition is a surgically placed shunt which has barely changed since 1952. Hydrocephalus requires 40,000 surgeries per year in the U.S. (that's one every 15 minutes) and the Federal Government spends less than $2 million dollars on research each year.

Although Jeremy's Hydrocephalus was congenital, meaning present at birth. Hydrocephalus can be acquired at any point in your life. Hydrocephalus can strike anyone at any age. It may result from a hemorrhage, head trauma, infection, tumor, or surgical complications or no reason at all. There are also more than 375,000 adults over the age of 50 in America who have Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) which often gets misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease. To learn about HUGS of Florida, Inc. and Hydrocephalus go to: www.gothydro.org