Moms on a Mission: The Trailblazers

This is our last day of our extended Mother’s Day celebration. HA would like to extend its deepest gratitude to all of the mothers making a difference each and every day to move the Hydrocephalus Association one step closer to a cure. As we close out these 7 days of profiling a few of our moms that have gone above and far beyond to further our reach, it is only fitting that we bring it home with the mothers that started it all.  Please join us in thanking these 3 amazing women and all of the (S)HEroes in our community!

Emily Fudge, Cynthia Solomon, and Pip Marks – The Trailblazers

In 2013 the Hydrocephalus Association commemorated 30 years of serving the hydrocephalus community, growing from a small gathering of parents, to a national movement of committed members. Our beginnings are all beautifully woven by three amazing moms on a mission who had a vision to create what HA is today.  For our final tribute, we would like to acknowledge the life-changing work of Emily Fudge, Cynthia Solomon and Pip Marks.

It was 1983 when a small group of parents of children with hydrocephalus living in the San Francisco Bay area came together seeking community and support. This was a time very different from today when there was little to no information on hydrocephalus, leaving parents, patients and loved ones with very few places to turn for education and support.  In 1984, Emily and her husband, Russell, decided to host the first Hydrocephalus Forum in San Francisco. At this meeting, the attendees proposed the idea of creating an organization and within a few short months the association was formed. It was the mission of these amazing moms to ensure that no family faced the challenges of hydrocephalus alone.

Sadly, Cynthia Solomon passed away last year, but her legacy lives on through the work of HA every day. Emily and Pip are still very involved, providing guidance on the Support and Education Committee, participating in the San Francisco Hydrocephalus Association WALK and attending HA’s National Conference. Emily served as the Executive Director for 20 years, positioning HA to grow exponentially to reach more families. There are few families who connected with HA throughout the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, that did not talk to Pip and receive sage advice and hope.