Kelleigh’s Cause, Inc. is a Not-For-Profit Charity Founded by Kelleigh Gustafson to Raise Awareness of the Rare and Life Threatening Disease Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs).
AVMs are defects of the circulatory system that are generally believed to arise during embryonic or fetal development or soon after birth. They are comprised of snarled tangles of arteries and veins. The absence of capillaries—small blood vessels that connect arteries to veins—creates a shortcut for blood to pass directly from arteries to veins. Although AVMs can develop in many different sites, those located in the brain or spinal cord—the two parts of the central nervous system—can have especially widespread effects on the body. Simply put, it is a birth defect that causes abnormal blood vessel growth.
Due to how rare AVMs are, Kelleigh’s Cause uses its outreach efforts to create an awareness of the condition and help provide information for families or patients with the disease. Kelleigh’s Cause also funds much needed medical research. All money raised by Kelleigh’s Cause is used specifically to fund basic scientific research into the causes of AVMs so we can find better treatments or a cure and to support ongoing education to the clinicians involved in the treatment and care of patients with neurovascular diseases. Please explore our website and Facebook page to learn more about AVMs and the efforts of Kelleigh’s Cause to find better treatments or a cure for AVMs.
