Annual Advocacy Day brings survivors and families to Washington to call for action on early
detection, prevention, and insurance coverage for those with a family history of rupture
HANOVER, Mass., March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF), the leading advocacy organization supporting education, research, and policy to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of brain aneurysms, will convene advocates from across the country in Washington, D.C., for its Annual Advocacy Day on Wednesday, March 18. Participants will urge Congress to accelerate federal investment in brain aneurysm research and expand access to screenings for people with a family history of aneurysm rupture.
BAF’s 2026 Advocacy Day comes as researchers advance promising approaches to detect aneurysms before rupture, including blood-based biomarkers and AI-driven prediction models. Accelerating progress will require sustained early-stage funding, as well as equitable access to diagnostic imaging.
“We’re closer than ever to the kind of early detection tools that can help prevent potentially devastating ruptures, but critical research still requires meaningful federal investment,” said Christine Buckley, Executive Director of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. “Advocacy Day is our community’s message to Congress: fund prevention and early detection at the scale this public health crisis demands and ensure families with known risk can access screenings before tragedy strikes.”
Brain aneurysms are often asymptomatic until rupture. While today’s surgical interventions can be highly effective, they typically depend on identifying an aneurysm before it ruptures. For individuals with a close family history of rupture, noninvasive imaging such as MRA or CTA can help detect aneurysms early. Yet many insurers require more than one rupture within a family before covering screenings.
Christine Gessler-Matozzo, who leads “Fight Like Frank,” a Philadelphia-area organization that raises funds for brain aneurysm research, will be in Washington to share the story of her husband, Frank Gessler, who died from a rupture—and how screenings helped identify potentially dangerous aneurysms in other relatives.
“After Frank’s death, we knew it was critical for all of us to get screened to make sure our siblings and children were not at risk,” Gessler-Matozzo said. “It was terrifying to discover other family members with unruptured aneurysms, but we were fortunate to take action in time. Early detection shouldn’t depend on tragedy, luck, or whether a family can afford a scan, and certainly not on two or more family members having to first suffer a rupture.”
Pushing for Passage of “Ellie’s Law”
BAF’s advocacy also will focus on building momentum for “Ellie’s Law” (H.R. 2678), bipartisan legislation that would increase research funding aimed at preventing ruptures and improving early detection. The bill calls for an additional $20 million annually from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to support comprehensive research on unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
“Every year, tens of thousands of Americans suffer a ruptured brain aneurysm—many without ever knowing they were at risk. For far too long, the scale of this crisis has not been matched by the resources devoted to solving it. Ellie’s Law changes that by directing meaningful federal investment toward research, early detection, and prevention. In partnership with the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, dedicated leaders, longtime partners, and tireless advocates in this fight, we are working to ensure Ellie’s legacy becomes a catalyst for the breakthroughs families desperately need,” said U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1).
Despite the prevalence and severity of brain aneurysms, federal investment in related research remains far below funding levels for many other neurologic conditions. BAF estimates federal research support at less than $3 per year for every person impacted. The Foundation is urging Congress to strengthen federal investment in prevention and early detection research, including work with NINDS.
“Too many families have lost a loved one to a brain aneurysm that could have been treated or prevented,” said Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a supporter of Ellie’s Law and an advocate for increased NIH funding for brain aneurysm research. “Ellie’s Law is about prevention and the critical research funding that helps stop aneurysm ruptures, saves lives, and, in turn, can ease the burden on families and survivors facing long-term care and rehabilitation for their loved ones.”
About the Brain Aneurysm Foundation Advocacy Day
BAF’s Annual Advocacy Day brings together survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and families who have experienced loss to meet with members of Congress and congressional staff. Advocates share personal stories and urge policy actions to expand research funding, improve outcomes, and reduce preventable deaths through earlier detection. The organization also will host a Support Conference for families and survivors on March 19 in Washington, D.C.
About the Brain Aneurysm Foundation
For more than 30 years, the Brain Aneurysm Foundation has been a trusted source in advancing awareness, research, and patient advocacy for a condition in which earlier detection and intervention can be essential to saving lives. The Foundation works to raise awareness of symptoms and risk factors to help prevent ruptures that can have a devastating impact on individuals and families.
The Foundation also works with medical communities to provide support networks for patients and families and is the leading private funder of brain aneurysm research, while championing policy and clinical study advances. Established in 1994 and based in Hanover, Mass., the Foundation is supported by a Medical Advisory Board comprised of the world’s foremost aneurysm experts. For more information please visit bafound.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Media Contact:
Lynn Nuttall
Director of Marketing and Communications
Brain Aneurysm Foundation
781-826-5556 x 208
[email protected]
bafound.org
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SOURCE Brain Aneurysm Foundation
