Who We Are
Brave Minds Project is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by volunteers and has no paid employees. Proceeds raised by Brave Minds Project go directly towards programs designed to help patients. Monetary donations help create:
- Courage kits for Brave family members and patients who are undergoing and recovering from treatments, surgeries and procedures
- Mentorship programs
- Support groups
- Scholarships to offset medical costs
- Activities designed to bring hope and fun to Brave patients
The idea of Brave Minds Project came to Alyssa as she was preparing to celebrate a enormous milestone: the 10-year anniversary of her brainstem surgery. She was only 15 years old when doctors found a cavernoma lodged deep in her brainstem – often referred to as a ‘cavernous malformation.’ Basically, Alyssa had a cluster of abnormal blood vessels – that resembled raspberries – located deep in her brainstem. Each time these blood vessels bled, pressure was put on the nerves in the surrounding area. For Alyssa, this affected the 6th and 7th cranial nerves on the right side of her face. This primarily impacted her right eye and smile.
When she was 18, her cavernoma bled again, causing even more damage. Her doctors advised her that it was time to remove what they could of the cavernoma. As one doctor put it, she was a ‘ticking time bomb’, and not removing it could potentially cause even more damage. Although the risks were tremendously high, Alyssa underwent brain surgery just a few days after her high school graduation.
Fast forward 10 years: Alyssa has taken what this crazy journey has taught her and created a community and an outlet for those who are in navigating a similar journey.
For people who came into Alyssa’s life while she was in college or post-college, they know her as she is now — looking different than she did pre-surgery, as someone who frequently goes to medical appointments, and as someone who has had more surgeries than most people can count on both hands. Following her surgery and recovery, Alyssa studied Advertising, Marketing & Communications at the Fashion Institute of Technology. More than a decade since her surgery, she is now able to live the life she’s always dreamed of — working as a PR professional at a world-renowned advertising and PR company in the heart of NYC, having an amazingly supportive group of close friends, and traveling the world every chance she can get.
Sadly, this isn’t the case for many people who are living with brain conditions.
Alyssa’s mission and the mission of Brave Minds Project is to continue to create a community that fosters hope. A community that provides patients with the assurance they need to understand and believe that they can live life to the fullest despite what they may currently be facing.
Alyssa and Brave Minds are committed to helping patients and their families navigate through the uncertainties they undoubtedly endure when they receive their diagnosis. For more information about the Brave Minds Project or how you can help, contact Alyssa directly at alyssa@bravemindsproject.org.
