Blessing is a 17-month-old baby girl from Kenya. She lives with her mother and grandparents, all of whom work as subsistence farmers. At her young age, Blessing is just learning to talk and recently said "mama" for the first time. Benchmarks like these have brought a mixture of emotions to Blessing's mother, who is concerned about the deteriorating condition of her baby.
Since she was six months old, Blessing has been living with a condition known as hydrocephalus. With this condition, excess fluid builds up in the skull and causes the brain to swell. Blessing's family first noticed the rapidly growing circumference of Blessing's head, and they then grew increasingly alarmed as they observed that she could not walk, sit, or hold up her head the same way that other babies her age could.
If untreated, Blessing’s condition could lead to permanent brain damage, loss of vision, and even death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is therefore requesting $685 to fund the surgical insertion of a shunt in Blessing's brain. The shunt is scheduled to be implanted on June 29 and will hopefully allow Blessing to continue reaching positive developmental milestones.
“I am glad you can help Blessing get better and have a healthy life,” says Blessing’s mother.