The Lisa Foundation Appoints New Executive Director to Continue Leading the Fight Against Brain Aneurysms

NEW YORK, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lisa Foundation ? the leader in the fight against Brain Aneurysms ? announced today that Debbie Bogle will assume the role of Executive Director, effective immediately, taking over the position from the organization's founder, Todd Crawford.

In 2018, Debbie's life forever changed when she suffered a ruptured Brain Aneurysm while working out. She is the first survivor to take over a leadership role for an organization in the Brain Aneurysm industry.

"As a Brain Aneurysm survivor, I deeply connect with the fears and uncertainties that our members feel when trying to understand this diagnosis and how it will impact their lives," said Debbie, whose recovery and experience led her to her first role at The Lisa Foundation as a Board Member. "I am truly honored to continue Todd's mission of advocating and being a voice for the Brain Aneurysm community. During the early days of my recovery, I leaned on The Lisa Foundation for resources and support, and am delighted to have this opportunity to help others who share my experience."

Debbie brings a strong background working in nonprofit to her new role at The Lisa Foundation. For more than 30 years, she has been involved with United Way, served as the President of United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois for nine years.  She is involved with many community organizations and has held multiple board positions, including Economic Development Corp., Boys & Girls Club of Decatur, and Decatur Area Arts Council. Debbie also is a consultant for Development Systems Inc. assisting non-profits fundraise.

"Leading The Lisa Foundation these past six years has really been a labor of love, and I am tremendously proud of all of our accomplishments that have driven better outcomes and saved the lives of so many by expanding awareness of Brain Aneurysms," said Todd, who founded the organization in 2015 after his beloved wife, ABC News television journalist Lisa Colagrossi passed away from a Brain Aneurysm rupture while on assignment. "I recruited Debbie with the hope of someday having her take on this role.  Debbie is the right person to steward the organization and lead our next chapter, as she brings a unique combination of proven nonprofit leadership and the very personal experience of those for whom we advocate. We could not be in more capable hands and I look forward to her further bringing our mission to life in innovative ways that will reach even more people and drive greater impact."

The Lisa Foundation is the first and only organization largely devoted to raising the critical awareness and providing the necessary education needed to help the public and medical community diagnose and treat Brain Aneurysms. The initial focus for many of its awareness and education programs is for the signs, symptoms and risk factors for Brain Aneurysms as well as identifying those who are most at risk.

During the last six years, The Lisa Foundation has achieved a number of key industry milestones, including:

• Launching the industry's very first national PSA. First PSA was launched nationally in 2016 and was voted runner up as best nonprofit PSA of the year by PR News and the second PSA featured Whoopi Goldberg and was released in 2018
  
  
• Developed first set of animated icons representing signs and symptoms. The icons represent the most common symptoms experienced including worst headache of life, sensitivity of light, stiffness of neck, sharp pain behind an eye, blurred or double vision and others
  
  
• National retail healthcare partnership. The foundation has partnered with CVS Pharmacy during the month of September to raise awareness in retail locations across the U.S.
  
  
• Tapping the best minds. The Lisa Foundation Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB) is composed of leading neurosurgeons and healthcare professionals from institutions across the U.S. who provide scientific and clinical expertise to guide the planning and implementing of the foundation's various awareness, education, research and support programs for patients, their families and caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
  
  
• Bringing the industry together. The Lisa Foundation's annual gala, A Cerebral Affair, is the premier charity benefit for the Brain Aneurysms industry, attracting the major players from across the country in this industry to discuss awareness, prevention, and earlier treatment.

For more information, please visit http://www.lisafoundation.org.

About Brain Aneurysms 
A Brain Aneurysm is a weakness or thinning of the wall of a blood vessel in the brain that gradually bulges outward. Eventually, the bulging blood vessel may leak or rupture causing bleeding into the brain. A ruptured aneurysm quickly becomes life threatening and requires prompt emergency treatment. Brain Aneurysms affect 1 in 20 people, or 15 million, in the U.S.  There are an estimated 40,000 ruptures each year with over 75% of all ruptures resulting in death or permanent neurological disability.  Women between the ages of 40-60 are 50% more likely to develop one and African Americans are roughly 30% more likely.

About The Lisa Foundation
The Lisa Foundation, a 501(c)(3), is a private funder of Brain Aneurysm initiatives that directly or indirectly support awareness, education, research and survivor support in the US.  Specifically, we develop awareness and education programs that are innovative, cutting-edge and reach millions of people at the same time.  We are the only Brain Aneurysm foundation to be featured by national news programs including Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz and others; we launched the industry's first sustained, national public relations campaign to drive awareness for the condition; we have developed the industry's premier charity benefit held in New York City each September; we also were the first to launch the industry's very first public service announcement in homes across the U.S. in 2017.

SOURCE The Lisa Foundation