Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR–05) Joins Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus to Advocate for Families

Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer will be the first member from Oregon to join the Caucus, championing for the hydrocephalus community in Oregon.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Hydrocephalus Association¹ proudly announces that Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer² (OR-05) has joined the Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus.

Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer will be the first member from Oregon to join the Caucus, championing heightened awareness, funding, and support for the hydrocephalus community in Oregon.

"We're thrilled to welcome Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer to the Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus," said Diana Gray, President and CEO, Hydrocephalus Association. "Her dedication to representing the hydrocephalus community in OR-05 underscores the urgency for critical research, improved diagnostic procedures, treatment options, and enhanced care for those affected by this condition."

Hydrocephalus affects over 1 million Americans. The only known treatment for hydrocephalus is brain surgery. Anyone at any time can develop the condition from a traumatic brain injury, brain infection, tumor, or, for unknown reasons, as part of the aging process. One in 770 babies develop hydrocephalus each year. Over 800,000 seniors in the U.S. are estimated to have normal pressure hydrocephalus, though the majority are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as having Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

The most common surgical treatment for hydrocephalus is the placement of a shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain, which has one of the highest failure rates of any medical device on the market. There are approximately 10,000 pediatric hospital admissions for shunt malfunctions each year. Hydrocephalus and a shunt can mean a lifetime of multiple brain surgeries. Dozens of brain surgeries are common and 100 or more is not unheard of.

“I’m proud to be the newest member of the Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “I appreciate the family who recently brought my attention to the need for more research into this condition, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Hydrocephalus Association to be an advocate for all families affected by hydrocephalus.”

The Caucus serves to inform the congressional community about the needs of those living with hydrocephalus, their families, and caregivers. This includes funding for research from the National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense and other key health policy priorities impacting the community such as Medicare and Medicaid access, special education, and rehabilitation services.

For further information on Congresswoman Chavez DeRemer’s commitment to the Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus, please contact Davis Kaderli at 240-483-4884 or advocacy@hydroassoc.org.

About the Hydrocephalus Association
Founded in 1983 by parents of children with hydrocephalus, the Hydrocephalus Association has grown to become the nation’s largest and most widely respected organization dedicated to hydrocephalus. The Hydrocephalus Association began funding research in 2009. Since then, HA has committed over $13 million to research, making it the largest nonprofit, non-governmental funder of hydrocephalus research in the U.S. For more information, visit www.hydroassoc.org.

Davis Kaderli
Hydrocephalus Association
+1 240-483-4884
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¹ http://www.hydroassoc.org
² https://chavez-deremer.house.gov/