21st Century Cures is relatable for every family. And momentum for #CuresNow is stronger than ever because of passionate advocates like the Helton Family from North Carolina. Two years ago, Todd and Karen Helton were the proud parents of three beautiful girls, Anna, Grace, and 14-year-old Ellie. Sadly, without warning, tragedy struck.
On July 15, 2014, on the second day of the school year, Ellie woke up complaining of a headache. But it soon became apparent that this was not a typical headache after Ellie lost consciousness. After an urgent rush to two different hospitals (the first one did not have a pediatric neurology unit), the Heltons learned it was not just a headache Ellie had been suffering from, it was a brain aneurysm the size of a plum. The aneurysm was located on her brain stem, and despite three different surgeries, the swelling never subsided and Ellie passed away.
“To describe Ellie in one word would be ‘amazing’ "- Grace Helton
From that day forward, the Helton Family turned their grief into determination. “We don’t want this to be about us and how we live," said Todd. “We want it to be more about how we can do what we can with this to try to live in a world where this doesn’t happen, where parents don’t have to go through losing a child, where sisters don’t have to go through losing a sibling." This sparked the formation of Live Like Ellie, a cause inspired by the very essence of young Ellie Helton.
Rep. Ellmers at the Live Like Ellie 5k in North Carolina.
Ellie’s story spread quickly and caught the attention of the local congresswoman who wanted to do everything she could to support Ellie’s cause. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) joined the Helton Family as well as over 500 other participants for a 5K that raised more than $44,000 for brain aneurysm awareness.
Todd and Rep. Ellmers meet in her Washington, D.C. office to discuss raising awareness for deadly diseases
Todd was recently in Washington, D.C., for Brain Aneurysm Advocacy Day. He met with members across Capitol Hill, including his Congresswoman and friend, Rep. Ellmers. In those meetings, Todd shared some alarming statistics - as the Brain Aneurysm Foundation reports, an estimated 6 million Americans, one out of every 50 people, have an unruptured brain aneurysm. A rupture occurs every 18 minutes, affecting approximately 30,000 people each year.
More can be done for the one in 50 Americans that live with un-ruptured brain aneurysms. 21st Century Cures is a non-partisan initiative that goes beyond party lines and facilitates collaboration between scientists, researchers, medical professionals, and legislators.
We need #CuresNow to help kids like Ellie.
