Tenth Anniversary Walk Held To Highlight Aneurysm Awareness

The event, geared to raise money and awareness for people who suffer brain aneurysms, kicked off at 9 a.m. with face painting, a raffle, and a live rock band. A projected $50,000 to $70,000 in proceeds will help fund research by UCSF neurologists, who are developing new clinical treatments and cerebrovascular therapies. The annual walk has also generated a sense of camraderie among people who have endured a mysterious, traumatic condition. Thirteen years ago she was struck with a rare vascular condition called a cavernous malformation, which caused her brain to hemorrhage. “I remember I went to see Thomas the Tank Engine at Fort Bragg with my son, and there were a thousand screaming kids, and I had a massive headache,” said Schaffer, now a thin, taut-muscled, healthy mother of two. Relonda Hancock, a clinical social worker from Oakland, said she’s also participated for ten years. Blood ruptures in the brain are still considered rare, are difficult to detect, and often elude the medical establishment, she explained. Because they are often fatal or leave permanent damage, the people who come out okay are often left feeling isolated.