WALK to End Hydrocephalus

Ella Packer

After three months of planning and fundraising, on August 20, 2022, at Hamilton High School, the WALK to End Hydrocephalus occurred. The walk started at 11am and ended at 2pm. We had an amazing turnout with over 80 people coming to support! The walk included face painting, balloon animals, pizza, snacks, games, music, and lots of photos. We were also able to have an ambulance on standby and Lisbon fire truck tours, which were a special addition to the event. 

To plan the event, Mackenzie Fitzgerald and I spent countless hours reaching out to businesses and fundraising. We went around our area handing out business letters for weeks on end hoping to get donations and sponsors. In addition, we had to buy supplies such as plates, silverware, and pizza. We were fortunate enough to get a lot of our decorations from the Chicago Walk, which was wonderful. 

Many families expressed their gratitude before the walk even kicked off.  “My son has hydrocephalus and I'm glad you're doing this walk. Last year we went to some benefit walks in Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, but there were none in Wisconsin so I'm so glad you came up with one,” said Heidi Vaughn. 

Sarah Rivera adds, “I always wanted to be involved with one but the closest I'd seen was Chicago…We are really excited!”

Finally, Erin Eberhardt wrote, “My husband was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus 3 1/2 years ago at age 51! He’s had 7 surgeries since then, the last one at Johns Hopkins a year ago in March. He now has 2 shunts and 320 settings between them both! It’s amazing what they can do! I hope you raise lots of money so they can continue researching this crazy condition!”

Hearing the stories from the families and how much this event meant to them helped to keep us motivated throughout the process.

After all of the hard work, the walk itself was a celebration.  Before the walk officially began, I was able to talk to many different families who were related to someone with hydrocephalus, and that, to me, was the best part. It made me so happy to hear others' stories and experiences.

This walk was extremely enjoyable and fun for all involved; I’m so happy that I was given the opportunity to host such an amazing event and hope to continue hosting this in the future. Many families expressed their sincere gratitude as well.

“Absolutely awesome!” said Ann Forshaw.  “It was a fantastic event!”

“Thank you so much for making this walk a reality that we will be able to take part in years to come!” says Rivera. “Until next year!” 

I would like to thank my teacher Mrs. Kowalske for supporting us through this, my parents, Mackenzie’s family, and all of the people who donated and participated in the walk. 

We were able to raise $9,370 which is far more than our initial goal. That money is going to be used in amazing ways to help end hydrocephalus.