Want to support our cause? Just choose an institution and you will be given instructions for how to make a online or mail-in donation. All donations support hydrocephalus research aimed at improving outcomes for kids that suffer from hydrocephalus — the #1 cause of brain surgery in children. Hydrocephalus is an excessive accumulation of cerebro-spinal fluid in the brain. In the US, one in 500 to 1000 births result in hydrocephalus. The condition has is life threatening and has no cure. It is currently treated with the surgical implantation of a shunt to redirect the build up of fluid. The failure rate for shunts is amonst the worst of any implanted medical device.