Meet Lembris, a seven-month-old baby boy. He and his family of eight other children live in Tanzania, where his parents are small-scale farmers.
When Lembris was two months old, his head began to increase in size. He was diagnosed with hydrocephalus -- an excessive fluid buildup in the ventricles of the brain that leads to intracranial pressure. Because of his condition, Lembris experiences a persistent fever and has difficulty sitting.
According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), “If not treated, Lembris will be at risk of losing his eyesight, develop other complications and become completely dependent.”
As a family that relies heavily on agriculture for their income, a recent drought has left Lembris’ family without the funds to seek treatment for Lembris. However, for $690, AMHF can perform a surgery that will insert a shunt to relieve the fluid pressure in the brain.
Lembris’ doctors tell us that with this surgery, it is expected that “there won’t be any more increased intracranial pressure on Lembris’ head causing headache and fever, he will be out of risk of losing his vision and most likely he will resume normal milestones.”
“We hope that our son will get better, have the ability to sit on his own and later on walk and continue with normal growth,” says Lembris’ mother.