With the 2nd anniversary of Kendall's shunt placement approaching, we are hoping to spread awareness about hydrocephalus and raise money for a cure.

As many of you are aware, one of the conditions Kendall was diagnosed with shortly after birth was hydrocephalus. Kendall has already gone through 2 brain surgeries and will live the rest of her life with her shunts. While these shunts manage Kendall's hydrocephalus and allow her to live a normal life, shunt failure and malfunction are extremely common for those living with the condition.

Unfortunately, there are no warning signs that a shunt is about to fail and brain surgery is once again the only course of action. As shunt parents, this is constantly in the back of our minds - with every call home from school, any cry in the middle of the night, and with every little fall while playing around the house. It will never be lost on us that after everything Kendall has gone through, we are unbelievably blessed that this is one of our only worries. But, like every parent, we want to do everything we can to help our child.

The Hydrocephalus Association has been a key resource for us after receiving Kendall's diagnosis. Not only was it a tool for learning more about life with her condition, but it gave us hope that there was research being done to one day find a cure.

Below are some facts from the Hydrocephalus Association that helped to educate us about hydrocephalus and the work that the organization is doing:

1. Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening condition that affects approximately 1 million Americans

2. One out of every 770 babies will develop hydrocephalus, making it as common as Down syndrome and more common than spina bifida or brain tumors

3. Anyone, at any age, can develop hydrocephalus

4. Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for brain surgery in children

5. There is no way to prevent hydrocephalus, and there is no cure. The most common surgical treatment for hydrocephalus is the implantation of a device called a shunt to drain fluid from the brain

6. An estimated 50% of shunts in the pediatric population fail within two years of placement and repeated neurosurgical operations are often required

7. Hydrocephalus and a shunt can mean a lifetime of multiple brain surgeries.

8. The core technology used to develop the shunt has not changed significantly since the 1950's.

9. Over 36,000 shunt surgeries are performed each year (one every 15 minutes) and more than half of them represent emergencies

10. Since 2009, Hydrocephalus Association has invested over $13MM in research, making it the largest non-profit, non-governmental funder of hydrocephalus research in the US. There are now 11 drugs currently being tested that could have a major impact on people living with hydrocephalus.

A few weeks ago, Kendall pointed to one of her scars on her belly and asked "what is this?" While we wish we could shield her forever, we know that she will be aware of her shunts and her condition much sooner than we would ever like. As the questions continue to come, we will continue to do everything we can to find a cure.

Please consider donating to the Hydrocephalus Association to help us with our fight.