Elizabeth Ratta: Turning Survival Into Purpose, Advocacy, and Hope
- .yawA
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Some stories are difficult to tell, not because they’re sad, but because they’re so profound they reshape the way we understand resilience, purpose, and the power of one person’s determination. Elizabeth Ratta’s story is one of those. Her journey began with a routine physical. It evolved into a fight for her life. And today, it continues as an extraordinary mission to save others.
A Headache, a Scan, and a Life-Changing Diagnosis
At 40 years old, Elizabeth mentioned to her primary care physician that she’d been experiencing sharp headaches behind her left eye. It seemed like a small note during a routine appointment, the kind of detail so many people might brush off. But an MRI revealed something far more serious:a brain aneurysm.
In 2018, she underwent open brain surgery to clip it. Two years later, an infection required the removal of two titanium plates. Her physical recovery was only one part of the process. The emotional recovery was just as heavy. She grappled with survivor’s guilt, especially knowing that her grandmother had also suffered a brain aneurysm in the 1970s and endured her own unimaginable challenges. Elizabeth felt a deep responsibility: to honor her grandmother, to raise awareness, and to help others avoid the same pain.
Elizabeth Ratta's Proudest Achievement: Motherhood and Meaning
Through it all, her two boys have been her anchor. They were just three and six when she had her first surgery and too young to fully understand, yet brave in ways that only children can be. Elizabeth calls them her proudest accomplishment, not just because of who they are, but because they have grown up witnessing her strength, her compassion, and her commitment to something larger than herself.
One moment stands above the rest: awarding the very first Rita Skertich Grant which is named in honor of her grandmother, to researcher Natália Vasconcellos through The Bee Foundation For Brain Aneurysm Prevention. It was a moment of coming full circle: honoring the past, empowering the present, and investing in the future.
Why Brain Aneurysm Awareness Saves Lives
Brain aneurysms can be silent until they’re not. When one ruptures, the outcome can be catastrophic, leading to death or lifelong deficits but awareness changes everything.
Elizabeth has made it her mission to educate others on critical warning signs, including:
Headaches behind one eye
Double vision
Sudden “worst headache of your life”
Other neurological changes that should never be ignored
She also advocates fiercely for funding because research is essential: Not only for better treatment, but to understand why women, Black, and Hispanic populations are disproportionately affected and most importantly to find ways to detect aneurysms before they rupture.
Creating the Rita Skertich Grant: Equity, Access, and Honor
In partnership with The Bee Foundation, a nonprofit established by two sisters who lost their cousin to a ruptured aneurysm, Elizabeth created the Rita Skertich Health Equity Research Grant.
Named after her grandmother, the grant focuses specifically on aneurysms within Black, Hispanic, and women’s health populations historically underfunded yet most at risk. For Elizabeth, the name is deeply personal: Her grandmother’s suffering carved the path that ultimately led to the scan that saved Elizabeth’s life. Naming the grant after her is a tribute, a thank you, and a promise to help others.
Beyond research, Elizabeth established The Rita Skertich Fund at the University of Vermont Medical Center, where she had her surgeries. The fund provides $500 grants to patients facing financial hardship, whether to cover bills, travel to appointments, or build accessibility ramps at home. The support is flexible: whatever helps them most.
Raising Money, Raising Awareness, Raising Hope
Elizabeth fundraises year-round, with major initiatives including:
Annual Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month events
Mountain hikes in Vermont
5K run/walks
“Minutes in March,” where participants log activity minutes to raise funds
Each event doesn’t just raise money, it builds community, honors survivors, and keeps the conversation alive.
Who She Nominates: Brands and Organizations Making an Impact
Elizabeth is quick to shine a light on others who support her mission. She highlights:
All have supported her events and helped expand their reach. And then there is WORK, a nonprofit she describes as one of the best organizations in the world. Based in Pittsburgh and LA, WORK provides dignified jobs in Haiti, empowering families and communities. Elizabeth calls the founder one of her favorite humans.
A Legacy of Strength and Service
Elizabeth Ratta’s journey is more than a medical story. It’s one of purpose, generosity, and the fearless decision to use her survival to save others. She turned pain into advocacy, fear into education, and her grandmother’s memory into a lifeline for countless others.
Her work is proof that one person’s determination can ripple far beyond their own experience,
reshaping awareness, funding research, supporting patients, and inspiring everyone privileged to hear her story.
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