You might know Danny Bonaduce for his role as Danny Partridge in “The Partridge Family” or his time as an American radio personality. But Bonaduce can now also call himself a survivor after undergoing surgery for hydrocephalus. 

Fox News shares that Bonaduce began experiencing symptoms of hydrocephalus in 2022. He struggled with speech, his words slurring together. His balance was poor which made it difficult to climb stairs or just move around his home in the same way. At one point, Bonaduce even lost the ability to walk. His wife was frightened. But no matter how many tests they pursued, doctors couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong. 

Eventually, however, doctors realized that Bonaduce had hydrocephalus, which roughly translates to “water on the brain.” Excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates and places pressure on the brain. Surgery is used to treat this condition. The most common surgical intervention is a shunt insertion, which helps drain CSF from the brain. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy surgery, which opens the ventricles, may also be used. 

Bonaduce underwent surgery earlier this year and has been recovering nicely. His wife shared that, in less than a month following surgery, she had already seen immense improvement. Not only could Bonaduce walk again, but he was even able to get back on his radio show. 

What is Hydrocephalus? 

As briefly described above, hydrocephalus is a rare condition in which CSF builds up in the brain’s ventricles. Normally, CSF flows through the ventricles, prevents brain injury, and removes waste products of the brain’s metabolism. In hydrocephalus, not enough CSF is absorbed into the bloodstream due to fluid overproduction, poor CSF absorption, or obstructions. Ultimately, this can cause brain damage and other health issues. 

Hydrocephalus most commonly occurs in infants and young children or older adults. Symptoms differ between the two groups. In infants or children, symptoms include seizures, irritability or excessive sleepiness, vomiting, eyes that are fixed downward, poor coordination, failure to thrive, hypotonia (low muscle tone), an unusually large head, and a bulging fontanelle on top of the head.

For adults, symptoms may include memory loss, poor balance and coordination, loss of bladder control, vision impairments, and progressive issues with thinking and/or reasoning. 

Due to the nature of the symptoms, people with hydrocephalus may initially be misdiagnosed with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s disease.