GREENFIELD — When Julie Workman’s mother had surgery to remove an aneurysm, doctors told Workman and her sisters they should be examined for signs of a bulge in the wall of blood vessels in their own brains.
It was hard to focus on her own health when her mother was going through such an intense surgery, but eventually, Workman got checked out. Doctors told her there was no sign of aneurysm in her brain at that time, she said; but what she didn’t know was that she needed to have follow-up scans throughout her life.
After suffering two aneurysms and as many surgeries in 2012, Workman has become an advocate for brain aneurysm awareness, lobbying both at the state and national level. Workman plans a fundraiser for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, “Bowling for Brains,” from 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 22, at Strike Force Lanes, 1539 W. Main St.
A $10 entry fee buys three games and shoe rental, Workman said.
“There have been researchers working for years, trying to find out if there’s a genetic link in aneurysm,” she said. “They’ve never had the money to complete the research, so it has been my desire to do what I can to complete this research.”
Workman, a Mooresville resident, chose Strike Force Lanes as the site for her fundraiser, because her father bowls in a summer league there, she said.
Workman is motivated by preventing others from having to go through what she experienced in 2012, she said. Her first brain aneurysm ruptured, and her second aneurysm, which was larger than the first, was in danger of rupturing as well.
When a brain aneurysm ruptures, it causes a life-threatening condition called a hemorraghic stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
“It makes me sick to my stomach that anyone else in my family could have an aneurysm,” she said. “I don’t want to have my daughters watch this again; I don’t want to watch anyone else I love to go through this.”
For those who can’t make it to the bowling tournament, but who would still like to contribute to Workman’s cause, visit bit.ly/Bowling_for_Brains_2018.
Workman has raised nearly $500 so far toward the effort, according to her website. She said she hasn’t set a goal for how much she’d like to raise by the end of the event.
She just wants to help researchers prevent others from suffering the same health concerns she and her mother have had, she said.
“I’m not trying to take away attention from other diseases … We know how to find if you have an aneurysm, and we know how to fix it,” she said. “One person in 50 has an aneurysm. It’s fixable if you get scanned before you experience a rupture; it’s just that simple.”
For more information about brain aneurysms, visit bafound.org.
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When: 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 22
Where: Strike Force Lanes, 1539 W. Main St., Greenfield
Cost: $10 buys three games and shoe rental
More information: bit.ly/Bowling_for_Brains_2018
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