Every year, I spend months asking our survivors, caregivers, physicians, volunteers, and researchers to share their stories.
Today, I'm sharing mine again—not because it's unique, but because it's the reason I'm here.
My mom's name was Marti.
She was a teacher, a wife, a mom of three, and the kind of person who quietly took care of everyone else. She also lived with debilitating headaches for years. No one knew they were the sign of a brain aneurysm.
On Christmas Eve in 1990, when I was 16 years old, my mom suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. She never came home.
For a long time, I believed that was the defining moment of my story.
It wasn't.
It was the beginning.
Over the last three decades, I've had the privilege of meeting thousands of survivors, caregivers, physicians, nurses, researchers, donors, and volunteers whose lives have also been touched by brain aneurysms, AVMs, and hemorrhagic stroke. Some lost someone they loved. Others survived against incredible odds. Many are still finding their way.
They've taught me that although every story begins differently, none of us should have to navigate it alone.
That's why TAAF exists.
We fund research that brings us closer to preventing ruptures before they happen. We create support groups where people finally meet someone who understands. We connect newly diagnosed patients with Brain Buddies who have walked the same road. We educate, advocate, and build a community that reminds people there is hope—even on the hardest days.
Every breakthrough, every support group, every Brain Buddy match, every family that feels less alone—it all starts with people who choose to care.
Every year, TAAFWalk is a celebration of that community. It's a reminder that hope grows when people choose to show up for one another.
When I stand at the walk each September, I still think about my mom. I wonder what she would think if she could see the thousands of people who have become part of this family because of her story.
I think she'd be amazed.
Her life—and losing her—set me on a path I never could have imagined. While I would give anything to have her back, I hope honoring her legacy means helping other families experience more answers, more support, more breakthroughs, and, ultimately, more tomorrows.
If you choose to support my fundraiser this year, you're not simply honoring my mom.
You're helping someone receive support after a frightening diagnosis. You're helping fund the next research breakthrough. You're helping a family realize they are not alone.
That's the legacy I want for Marti.
Thank you for believing that no one should have to navigate a brain aneurysm, AVM, or stroke alone. Together, we're helping more families find their way.
With gratitude,
Dina