Brain health is no laughing matter for Lauren Miller Rogen.
The actress and the wife of comedian Seth Rogen opened up about her brain aneurysm diagnosis while attending the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery Visionary Ball on Oct. 11. Given that dementia ran in her family, the 42-year-old recalled going in for a MRI five years ago "to take a deeper look at anything that could possibly be lurking inside me that would affect my longevity."
"They found, of course, this sort of aneurysm in my head," Lauren told the crowd, according to People. "So of course, this was terrifying information, and made me think of my great-grandmother, whose fate I certainly didn't want to mimic."
While the aneurysm "remained small" and benign at first, it started to cause concerns when doctors noticed last year that it had grown in size, according to the For a Good Time, Call... star. She was quickly connected with UCLA neurosurgeon Dr. Geoffrey Colby, who she said provided her with a source comfort and "answered every single question" she had during a time of uncertainty.
Lauren eventually underwent a procedure to have the aneurysm removed.
"I'm truly endlessly grateful to Dr. Colby, his entire team, and the entire staff at UCLA who guided us through this scary experience that I'm truly grateful to have overcome," she said, jokingly adding at the gala, "I'm truly thankful that I won't be dying at this dinner table or any others anytime soon."
Brain health is also a top priority for her husband, with whom she co-founded Hilarity for Charity, a non-profit dedicated to helping those impacted by Alzheimer's disease. The organization was launched after the couple—who tied the knot in 2011—witnessed how Lauren's mom, Adele Miller, regressed while struggling with the condition. (Adele passed away at 69 in 2020.)
"I had done charitable work before, but this was the first time I was contributing to a cause just by sharing what Lauren and I were seeing and experiencing," Seth told Brain & Life magazine in 2021. "As painful as it was, it was very easy to talk about during interviews because it was happening to our family. It didn't require research or memorizing statistics."
Noting that many people "are not taught how to take care of their brains from childhood and throughout life," the 41-year-old stressed the importance of early detection.
"You can take care of your brain, just like your heart and your lungs," he added. "It's never too early to start."