The Hemispherectomy Foundation is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded to provide a support structure for children, and the families of children who have had or are preparing to have

hemispherectomy Hemispherectomy is a neurosurgical procedure in which a cerebral hemisphere (half of the upper brain, or cerebrum) is removed or disconnected that is used to treat a variety of refractory or drug-resistant seizure disorders (epilepsy). Refractory ...

brain surgery. The foundation also provides scholarships for college, trade schools, and summer camps, as well as financial assistance and other support as needed. It is based in

Aledo, Texas Aledo ( ) is a city in Parker County, Texas, Parker County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,858 in 2020. The city is served by the Aledo Independent School District. History The Parker post office was established in 1880 by Littleber ...

History

The Hemispherectomy Foundation was founded in 2008, when a six-year-old girl, Jessie Hall, was hospitalized with

Rasmussen's Encephalitis Rasmussen's encephalitis is a rare inflammatory neurological disease, characterized by frequent and severe seizures, loss of motor skills and speech, hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and de ...

Johns Hopkins Hospital The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 mo ...

. Jessie was undergoing

surgery (removal or disconnection of one-half of the brain) to control continuous seizures. Although The Hemispherectomy Foundation is based in the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

, it provides support globally. Ben Carson, M.D., director of pediatric neurosurgery, at

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, is the honorary chair of the foundation's medical advisory board. He assumed this position in January, 2009.

References

External links

The Hemispherectomy Foundation: Official Website
Medical and health foundations in the United States Organizations for children with health issues Non-profit organizations based in Texas {{nonprofit-org-stub