100 Percent Of Americans Failed To Identify All Warning Signs Of A Brain Aneurysm, Yet Ruptures Occur Every 18 Minutes

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation (TLCF) revealed new survey findings today to help guide the focus of brain aneurysm education during Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month. In addition to the startling lack of awareness about warning signs, 90 percent of Americans ages 18+ can't fully identify what a brain aneurysm is and 94 percent can't identify who is most at risk – women (3:2) and African Americans (50 percent more than others).

According to Todd Crawford, founder of TLCF - the first organization devoted to awareness and education, millions of lives can be saved if Americans are equipped with the critical information necessary to self-diagnose themselves and are informed about what to do. Right now, 93 percent of Americans admit their knowledge about brain aneurysms ranges from limited to non-existent. There's also a prevailing and very problematic myth that there is no hope for people who have brain aneurysms. Indeed, more than one-third of Americans mistakenly believe that a brain aneurysm cannot be prevented or treated.

"If someone had been doing the work TLCF is now, advancing the signs and symptoms, we could have recognized Lisa's sudden onset of the worst headache of her life as one of the classic warning signs of a brain aneurysm and chances are that she would be working right alongside of us advocating for increased awareness," says Todd, who founded TLCF upon the loss of his beloved wife, an ABC News television journalist who passed away 18 months ago from a brain aneurysm rupture while on assignment. "Our mission and approach are very different and have already been validated as a number of people have credited TCLF with saving their lives in just our first year. We have barely scratched the surface and won't stop until our mission is complete." 

According to Dr. Riina, a leading neurosurgeon at NYU Langone and the head of the medical board for TLCF, there are prevention strategies and treatments in place to stop a brain aneurysm from rupturing. "The real problem is that brain aneurysms occur suddenly and Americans are not informed to recognize all the signs," says Dr. Riina. "Consequently, they aren't getting to the emergency room early enough and lives that might have been saved are lost or diminished by life-long disabilities."

To address this very real gap in knowledge about brain aneurysms, The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation is hosting its first major fundraising event, "A Cerebral Affair" gala  - on September 29 in the Lighthouse of Chelsea Piers. The gala will raise funds for national awareness and educational programs. Because of TLCF and its work, the event has attracted all of the major players from across the country in the brain aneurysm industry to discuss awareness, prevention and earlier treatment. Athletes, celebrities, media personalities and others who have been touched by a brain aneurysm will also join the gala. The group assembled will honor survivors who have tackled the road to recovery with incredible spirit and determination and remember those who have lost their lives to the devastating condition.  

Co-hosted by award-winning journalists Gretchen Carlson and Bill Ritter, the brain aneurysm event will feature a festive reception, silent and live auctions, a formal dinner, a special performance by the NFL Players Choir and moving tributes from many who have been personally impacted by brain aneurysms. Some of those scheduled to attend include NASCAR drivers; New York Knicks legend John Starks; former New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck; and former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.

To learn more about TLCF and the upcoming "A Cerebral Affair" gala, visit http://www.tlcfound.org.

About Brain Aneurysms

A brain aneurysm is a weakness or thinning of the wall of a blood vessel in the brain that gradually bulges outward. Eventually, the bulging blood vessel may leak or rupture causing bleeding into the brain. A ruptured aneurysm quickly becomes life threatening and requires prompt emergency treatment. The most common sudden onset symptoms of a brain aneurysm are: worst headache of your life (WHOL), stiffness in the neck, sensitivity to light, sharp pain behind or above the eye, blurred or double vision, drooping eyelid, seizures, loss of consciousness, numbness or tingling in the face, nausea and vomiting, confusion or changed mental state and perceived gun shot noise or a loud BOOM. Some of the risk factors for a brain aneurysm are: smoking, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, heavy alcohol or drug abuse, head injury and lower estrogen after menopause, family history of brain aneurysm, polycystic kidney disease, among others.

About the Survey

The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation is the first to field a national omnibus survey about awareness. The survey was conducted by using the online omnibus field service of ORC International. The 10-minute survey was fielded from August 15 to 17, 2016 among a nationally representative sample of U.S. men and women ages 18+, balanced to census.

About the Lisa Colagrossi Foundation

The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation is the worldwide leader in the fight against brain aneurysms. The Foundation's primary focus is to create awareness and education for the signs, symptoms and risk factors for brain aneurysms while enhancing research and support initiatives that will help save lives. The organization also encourages programs that promote early detection and innovative research from world-renowned neurologists in the quest to find more effective methods in the areas of prevention and treatment. For more information, please visit http://www.tlcfound.org.

SOURCE The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation

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http://www.tlcfound.org