Ohio State launches neurosurgery fund inspired by patient’s viral surgery journey

One year after dancing with her neurosurgeon before a fourth brain surgery, Ohio publicist Na’Asiaha “Ny” Simon returned to Ohio State to celebrate a new fund for neurosurgery education and research. The fund is meant to turn a widely shared recovery story into support for future patients and clinicians.

Why it matters: - The new fund ties a personal recovery story to long-term support for neurosurgery education, awareness and research at Ohio State. - The award fund is designed to help future patients, families and medical professionals by backing work that could improve care and outcomes. - Simon’s story also spotlights idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a rare condition that can threaten vision and cause severe headaches.

What happened: - Na’Asiaha “Ny” Simon and Dr. Ciaran Powers, an endovascular neurosurgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, marked the fund launch on Nov. 9 with another dance video. - The pair danced to Whitney Houston and Brandy’s “It’s Possible” one year after Simon’s fourth brain surgery. - Ohio State established the Na’Asiaha “Ny” Simon Neurosurgery Education and Research Award Fund on the one-year anniversary of that surgery.

The details: - Simon, 36, has had four brain surgeries in five years to treat idiopathic intracranial hypertension, or IIH. - IIH causes excess cerebrospinal fluid to build up inside the skull. - The condition affects roughly one to two people per 100,000 and is most common in women ages 20 to 45. - Simon said the disorder threatened her vision and caused debilitating daily headaches. - Earlier stents and a shunt did not fully solve the problem. - Her November 2025 surgery replaced a previous system with a ventriculoatrial shunt that drains fluid near the heart. - The surgery eliminated her headaches. - The fund supports neurosurgery education, awareness and research. - The fund was created to extend Simon’s experience into institutional support for future patients and clinicians. - Dr. Powers has appeared in several of Simon’s videos, despite generally staying off social media. - Earlier videos included a Stephanie Mills dance challenge before surgery, a staple-removal clip and a Rihanna-themed post titled “Seeing Good Signs.” - Simon is a public relations professional, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a Fairborn, Ohio resident near Dayton. - Simon has also spoken publicly about the physical and mental toll of IIH, including in a TEDx Dayton talk. - The release includes a donation link for the fund: Support the fund. - The release also points readers to four Instagram posts documenting the journey: Stephanie Mills Challenge, Staple Removal, Seeing Good Signs, and It’s Possible.

Between the lines: - The dancing videos turned a difficult medical journey into a public narrative that has drawn attention well beyond the hospital. - Simon’s repeated appearances with Dr. Powers suggest a broader effort to use visibility and social media to normalize neurosurgery care and recovery. - The fund launch reframes the viral attention around a practical outcome: money and support for research and training.

What’s next: - Donations can now be directed to the neurosurgery award fund. - Ohio State is expected to use the fund to support education and research efforts tied to neurosurgery. - Simon and Dr. Powers are likely to remain linked through future awareness efforts if the public response continues.