Valerie's Vigorous Brain Battle

Twelve  year old, Valerie Lorenzo, is battling a painful brain condition. This fundraiser was created to support her family with medical bills, expenses and to keep a roof over their head. 

Valerie has always been full a life. Born and raised still living in Miami, she is a lover of the outdoors. As you can see from the picture, a large appetite for life (and food)! A beautiful girl from birth, she has always been full of joy. Like every other child her age she was enjoying life. Playing and laughing with her sister and brother. She loves animals! She enjoys fishing, lobstering and even hunting with her father. 

Now, she is fighting a serious brain condition. 

Nearly a year ago, Valerie started having severe migraines, dizziness and vomitting. The physical pain throughout her body came after. With the migraines she began to loose vision on and off. Doctors ran tests and thought these were symptoms of digestion issues. Endoscopy, colonocpy, mri's, ct scans, eye scans and no answers. The family began to visit the emergency room so often they knew their names. Each time Valerie would spend a week or two, sometimes more, with migraine and physical pain that would not go away. 

At last, a neurologist that reviewed the latest MRI results had an urgent message. Valerie is porducing too much fluid on her brain which is literraly sqeezing her brain inside her head. The neurologist admitted her to the hospital immediately and performed a life saving lumbar puncture to remove the liquid. Unfortuantely that left her with back problems and pain. As the fluid drained, her brain started to expand back to normal size which is extremely painful. 

Right now, Valerie is feeling better. She is being treated with a constant 8-10 prescription medications which are to neutralize how much fluid she produces. The downside is these mediciations are extremely expensive. She may require them for the rest of her life.  If this treatment doesn't continue to work, the doctors advise installing a stent in Valerie's brain which would drain the excess liquid on the brain into her abdomen. 

As you can imagine, her parents have been vigilantly by her side. With the medical appointments, hospital stays and scary unknown nature of this condition, the bills are mounting. Naturally, her mother cares for her around the clock. Her father, while working full time, has been unable to work as usual due to the hospital stays and medical appointments.

The medical bills are escalating. The presription mediciations are priced so high they are nearly unaffordable. Unfortunately, the family home may be lost as it is now in foreclosure. 

Valerie has gone through more in the last year than most expereince in a lifetime. She has been brave and kept a good attitude with smile. Please help Valerie and her family continue battling this fluid on the brain and get the right treatment so she can get back to enjoying life as a soon-to-be teenager as her birthday is June 29th!

Every donation will go directly to the family and is very much appreciated.