Team Owen
Friends, family, and colleagues,
Thank you for returning to support Team Owen in 2024! If you're new to this - welcome and thank you for your interest in joining our family as we WALK to End Hydrocephalus! As you may know, hydrocephalus is a life-altering, life-threatening condition, caused by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid resulting in pressure on the brain. The most common treatment for this condition is brain surgery to implant a medical device called a shunt. A shunt is not a cure and, as a result, many patients endure multiple brain surgeries throughout their lifetime. Just pause for a moment and imagine life, knowing your shunt could fail at any moment and lead you back into brain surgery. Living with such life-threatening uncertainty is taxing, to say the least.
As you know, Owen was born with hydrocephalus and had a shunt placed on day seven of life. Hydrocephalus has presented its challenges but, with God’s grace and mercy, Owen has overcome innumerable obstacles and consistently exceeds the doom-and-gloom expectations initially put forth by the numerous "specialists." Let me tell you, God is great and with Him - all things are possible.
Owen gets stronger every day and has logged hundreds of therapy hours in the past year. With a recent move south, he now has access to some of the best therapy and services in the world. In 2024, Owen started also started at a conductive education school and is loving it! He is nothing short of miraculous and a pure joy. We're humbled and honored to be his parents.
Owen is WHY we WALK, and also why we need your support. Together, help us find a cure with a donation to Team Owen and/or by registering for the WALK on September 28. The WALK is a great time - we would love for you to join us and I know Owen would love to see you there!
Your support is greatly appreciated and will go far in helping find a cure and improve the lives of people living with hydrocephalus.
Thank you and God bless,
The Knapke Family