Leo Drew Townsend is 18 years old and just completed his first year at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He has been considering majoring in Linguistics, but continues to explore German and International Relations. He is a clarinetist in the Cornell Marching Band and had a great freshman year. His parents Dawn and Leo Townsend describe Leo Drew as "A wonderful young man! All parents feel that their own child is the most special. Leo Drew is surely special. He is one of the best people most of us know. He is mature beyond his years, intelligent, a hardworker, and most of all, a very kind, respectful young man. He is loved by so many!”

On Sunday, June 12th, 2011, Leo Drew collapsed at home from a ruptured (hemorrhage) AVM in the brain area. This condition, most often seen in teenagers and young adults in the 15 - 22 age range, can exist undetected until one is evaluated vascularly at some point in life. Leo Drew's AVM is in the area in the back of the brain known as the cerebellum, and he was in a coma for 10 days.