Season 7 Episode 872
Introducing: Hydro with Hope S1E39
Jeff Pearson was born in Ft. Collins, CO, in 1977. When he was just 2 weeks old, it was confirmed that he had hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis. Very soon after, he had his first brain surgery. Over the next few years, he had several surgeries, most related to hydrocephalus, through about age 10. Growing up, his parents always had a great way of being positive and encouraging and – instead of telling Jeff all the things he couldn’t or shouldn’t do because of his diagnosis – they pointed him in the direction of things that he could do. As a result, he had an amazing childhood that included skateboarding, snowboarding, getting a driver’s license, and making it through high school. After high school he traveled around the world for a year as a singer with a group called Up with People. In his early twenties he married his wife, Catherine, continued to be a productive working adult, and raised three wonderful children. Between 2013 and 2023, Jeff had 6 more surgeries – 5 of them were directly related to hydrocephalus and the sixth was complicated by the hydrocephalus-related surgeries. Having 4 brain surgeries in 8 years took its toll and Jeff experienced several health challenges (migraines, cluster headaches, seizures, dizziness, and severe, involuntary ticks). These challenges limited his ability to work at the company that he’d been part of since 2011. Despite all that, Jeff and Catherine started Hydro with Hope, a company born out of Jeff’s desire to serve the hydrocephalus community by offering tangible help and encouragement through online and in-person resources. To that end, Jeff & Catherine created a journal called “My Hydrowarrior Story”, designed to help people with hydrocephalus to be able to record their journey from diagnosis to surgery and beyond. Jeff also loves speaking to audiences to increase awareness, tell his story, and to continue to share the journal with the world. Jeff would LOVE to speak to your organization about his story and share the HOPE that everyone can have despite challenges in life. Connect with Hydro with Hope: www.hydrowithhope.com www.facebook.com/hydrowithhope www.instagram.com/hydrowithhope/
