By: Natalie Osorio
On February 14, 2024, Carey high school’s junior, Natalie Osorio, spoke about neural tube defects to Carey’s Road to Medicine Club. This presentation is a part of their outreach initiative to increase awareness about the issue, and encourage students to volunteer as a part of the initiative. It was given in honor of birth defect awareness month.
Over the summer, Natalie participated in a camp with the CDC, and it was here that she learned about neural tube defects and their disproportionate occurrence in Hispanic women. As a Hispanic herself, Natalie felt intrigued and knew she had to raise awareness. She mentioned that, “as a Hispanic, I realized that I could’ve been born with these defects, and I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t imagine having my family and friends be blind to these issues, I needed to let them know.” With this in mind, Natalie, alongside her close friend Jasmine, from Massachusetts, founded NeuraHope, a fiscally sponsored organization that aims to provide assurance for a healthy pregnancy amongst all mothers. They started in October 2023, and since then, have reached over 1200 accounts!! They also have board members from across the globe.
NeuraHope’s mission is to educate women and girls about neural tube defects, in addition to other topics relating to pregnancy and womanhood. They have several exciting projects on the way, such as a future amazon book, more contests, a summer course, interviews with CDC professionals, and more!! If you are interested in volunteering with them or learning more, be sure to check them out on Instagram at: @neura.hope
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