I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1648 
To provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of 
Neurological Disorders and Stroke on unruptured intracranial aneurysms. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2017 
Ms. CLARKE of New York (for herself and Mr. MEEHAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for further comprehensive research at the Na-
tional Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 
on unruptured intracranial aneurysms. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ellie Helton, Lisa 
Colagrossi, Teresa Anne Lawrence, and Jennifer Sedney 
Focused Research Act’’ or ‘‘Ellie’s Law’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) An estimated 6 million people in the United 
States, or 1 in 50 people, have an unruptured brain 
aneurysm. 
(2) Each year, an estimated 30,000 people in 
the United States suffer a brain aneurysm rupture. 
Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 40 per-
cent of cases. Of those who survive, about 66 per-
cent suffer some permanent neurological deficit. 
(3) Brain aneurysms are more likely to occur in 
women than in men by a 3 to 2 ratio. People who 
experienced a brain aneurysm rupture include the 
following: 
(A) Ellie Helton. On July 16, 2014, Ellie 
Helton, a vibrant, loving 14-year-old from Apex, 
North Carolina, passed away as a result of a 
ruptured aneurysm, stunning her parents, two 
sisters, and many, many loved ones. A day ear-
lier, on her second day of high school, she woke 
up with a terrible headache after a plum-sized 
aneurysm on her brain stem ruptured. While 
she suffered headaches throughout her life, she 
was never diagnosed. Ellie was an avid reader 
and excellent student, loved the arts, and was 
incredibly creative. She had an unwavering, 
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constant love for the family and friends in her 
life. 
(B) Lisa Colagrossi. On March 20, 2015, 
Lisa Colagrossi—WABC Eyewitness News re-
porter, wife of 17 years, and mother of two 
sons—unexpectedly passed away at the age of 
49 years after suffering a massive ruptured 
brain aneurysm. Despite experiencing one of 
the classic warning signs of a brain aneurysm 
(the ‘‘worst headache of my life’’), Lisa’s pass-
ing came as a tremendous shock to her family 
and friends, who did not know what a brain an-
eurysm was, let alone its signs and symptoms. 
She is remembered for being a loving wife, a 
mother, and a successful reporter, and for her 
love of the New York Rangers. 
(C) Teresa Anne Lawrence, devoted moth-
er of three, beloved wife, and staple of her com-
munity, collapsed while visiting her son’s school 
on December 8, 1983. She had been struggling 
with and taking medication for hypertension for 
several years. At age 34, after being uncon-
scious for four days, she passed away as a re-
sult of a brain aneurysm. Her loving husband 
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and extended family were left to raise their chil-
dren, whom Teresa cherished so much. 
(D) Jennifer Sedney. On December 25, 
2013, Jennifer Sedney, a beautiful, accom-
plished young woman, passed away suddenly at 
the age of 27 from a ruptured brain aneurysm. 
Her only symptom was the ‘‘worst headache of 
her life’’, which none of her friends or family 
realized was a symptom of a potentially fatal 
condition. Jenny was a jogger, a disciplined ex-
erciser, and a successful health care consultant 
and had recently launched a health blog found-
ed on three principles—‘‘bee curious, bee radi-
ant, bee well’’. Her brother, mother, father, and 
a large devoted network of friends and relatives 
remember her every day. 
(4) The combined lost wages of survivors of 
brain aneurysm ruptures and their caretakers are 
approximately $138,000,000 per year. 
(5) Despite the widespread prevalence of this 
condition and the high societal cost it imposes on the 
Nation, the Federal Government only spends ap-
proximately $0.83 per year on brain aneurysm re-
search for each person afflicted with a brain aneu-
rysm. 
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