Mon is an eight-month-old baby living with his parents, two older brothers, and sister in Burma. Mon was born with an encephalocele, a neural tube defect of the brain. The defects are caused by a failure of the neural tube to close completely during development in the womb. Encephaloceles are often accompanied with other brain malformations. Mon also has hydrocephalus, a condition where excessive accumulation of cerebral fluid in the brain causes increased pressure and swelling of the head. The pressure on Mon's brain may cause brain damage and serious consequences for Mon's development. To ensure that Mon's brain can function properly, he needs to have a shunt inserted in his brain to divert the fluid into his abdomen where it can be reabsorbed. Mon’s mother works selling snacks to pay for Mon’s various medical needs and his siblings’ schooling, but the family needs financial assistance to pay for this additional procedure. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us that for $1,485, Mon can receive the procedure to insert the shunt. The total cost covers the procedure, medication, and seven days of post-operative care in the hospital. Following his surgery, Mon will rejoin his family in his village, and his parents will not have to worry about his condition progressing. “When he is old enough, I will send him to school and support him in everything that he wants to do,” Mon’s mother told the staff at BBP.