Lopenyo is a four-month old baby boy, the most recent addition to his family of thirteen children. The family lives in a grass-thatched, mud-walled house in Kenya where they raise livestock to support themselves. Unfortunately, they recently many of their animals and much of their farmable land because of a drought in their region.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), has diagnosed Lopenyo with hydrocephalus, a medical condition where there is a buildup of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain. The extra fluid exerts pressure on the developing brain, and can cause head enlargement, loss of vision, permanent brain damage, and death. “He has been vomiting especially in the mornings, is very irritable and seems drowsy,” reports AMHF. “Lopenyo is likely to have delayed development.”
For $980, we can help fund treatment to drain Lopenyo’s excess intra-cranial fluid, regulate his intra-cranial pressure, and reduce his risk of suffering permanent brain damage or premature death.
“Our family lives a very simple life and now that my son is sick, I feel devastated that we cannot meet his care. I really wish that he gets treated soon,” says Lopenyo’s mother. Let’s help make her dream a reality.