Dedicated to bettering the lives, support networks, and medical care of those affected by aneurysm, AVM, and other types of vascular malformation of the brain.
San Francisco, CA
Joined February 2009
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Word!
No one person or organization speaks for the whole #epilepsy community. Your story matters, as it might help others. Thank you for being here, supporting us, and sharing who you are. #EpilepsyAwareness
ALT Four hands of different pigments come together over the Brain Ablaze logo over a purple background.
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Today we honor every mind that served.
Veterans with a past brain injury face a higher long-term risk of stroke (Stroke, 2023).
To the veterans, survivors and caregivers in our TAAF family: thank you.
taafonline.org
#VeteransDay #BrainHealth
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Worst headache of your life? Call 911.
Only about 4 in 10 brain aneurysm ruptures come with a warning sign first. Know the signs: a sudden, severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, vision changes, or passing out.
taafonline.org
#BrainAneurysm #UnitedWeShare
Sometimes the first sign of a brain AVM is a seizure. This #EpilepsyAwarenessMonth, if a seizure led you to an AVM diagnosis, you’re not alone. Learn more: taafonline.org/About-AVM #AVM #Seizure #TAAF
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Their diagnosis changed your life, too. Here are four ways to find support while you’re supporting them. 🔖 Save it. Share it with someone who needs it. (Slide #5 i comments.) #CaregiverAppreciationMonth #UnitedWeCare #BrainAneurysm #AVM #Stroke
A spouse. A teenager. A parent. A neighbor. However you came to caregiving, thank you.
November is #CaregiverAppreciationMonth. All month, we’re honoring caregivers—their stories, their needs, and the people they are beyond the care they give.
#UnitedWeCare #TAAF
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A lung AVM—so why are we talking about the brain?
See the connection. Know what to ask. You belong in our TAAF family, too.
#itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #UnitedandRare #AVM #AVMAwareness #AVMAwarenessMonth
A ruptured brain aneurysm or AVM causes a hemorrhagic stroke, yet many survivors never hear it named that way. On #WorldStrokeDay, we’re making that connection clear. Both stroke types are emergencies. Call 911.
P.S. It’s also #NationalCatDay. 🐈⬛ #TAAF
SARAH WON! TAAF Youth Ambassador Sarah Larkins is a 2026 RARE Artist Awardee—and she’s taking her art and the AVM community’s story to D.C. in 2027! @EveryLifeOrg
#itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #UnitedandRare #AVM #AVMAwareness #AVMAwarenessMonth
An #AVM doesn’t have to be in your brain to change your life.
Yesterday, the spine. Today, the face & limbs. Different locations, same need to be understood. You belong here.
#itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #UnitedandRare #AVMAwareness #AVMAwarenessMonth
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Your #AVM doesn’t have to be in the brain for you to belong here.
People w/spinal & other extracranial AVMs are part of TAAF family—sharing their experiences, finding support, & reminding us why we’re #UnitedandRare.
#spinalAVM #itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #AVMAwarenessMonth
Hopeful
In urban Cienfuegos, Cuba, population control of #Hypertension increased substantially between 2011 and 2023, with improvements in awareness, treatment, and control among treated individuals.
These findings indicate that high blood pressure control can improve at the population level in a middle-income setting within a universal primary health care system.
ja.ma/4rR9JKu
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Raising awareness and kiddos now. Kudos and thanks to @hirokonishimura Honored to stand by her side (sometimes TAAFWalk-ing) all these years.🧠💪♥️
October is #AVMAwarenessMonth (Arteriovenous Malformation)! It's a vascular malformation disorder that can occur anywhere in the body with blood vessels. In my case, it was in my brain.
I'd never heard of it until I got diagnosed when I turned 22.
Please take a minute to read the infographic from @TAAF. It might help save a life!
#AVMSurvivor #itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU
Every design in the #TAAF Store carries a story.
The #Aphasia Tee began with something a support group member actually said: “I forgot the word for aphasia.” If you know aphasia, you get it—and know how much a shared laugh can matter.
bit.ly/ShopTAAF
🤖 Made with AI
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AVM Awareness Month is about finding people who understand.
This Thursday: 3 virtual TAAF Support Groups.
Next Thursday: join us in person at UCSF Parnassus.
See the graphics for times, speakers + details.
#AVMAwarenessMonth #AVMAwareness #UnitedandRare #UnitedWeShare
Your AVM is Grade ___. Now, WTH does that mean?
Save this. Share it. Bring questions to your next appointment. 01/06
#itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #UnitedandRare #AVM #AVMAwareness #AVMAwarenessMonth
You nodded through the appointment. In the parking lot, you Googled “AVM.”
Understanding takes more than one conversation. Here’s a place to start. Save it. Share it with your people.
#itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #UnitedandRare #AVM #AVMAwareness #AVMAwarenessMonth
For those in the back... "It is a privilege to transform the love and intention of this TAAF Family into the funding that supports YOUR work and the work of your colleagues and friends. The future is upon us and we must all continue to be the lighthouse keepers."
Transitioning to October , #AVM awareness month. Thanks to the @TAAF for hosting such a fabulous annual event! Some incredible research on the horizon; so meaningful to get to discuss it all with brave survivors and families in beautiful SF! Great work Dina Chon and team!
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Three letters that change everything.
#AVMAwarenessMonth begins today. See beyond those letters—to the person, the family, and the life still being lived.
Share this video. Help us show the world why #AVMAwareness matters.
#itsonlyRAREuntilithappenstoYOU #UnitedandRare #AVM