Meet Eh Tha, an 18-month-old baby from Burma. "She is very sweet and her mother says she never cries and is very well behaved," our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us.
“When she was born, her mother noticed a small bump above her nose between her eyes,” explains BBP. "The medics informed her that her baby had an encephalocele and would need to have surgery to have it repaired." This means that Eh Tha’s neural structures did not develop normally, leading to visible protrusions containing excess cerebrospinal fluid. Now, the defect is affecting her ability to see.
With only Eh Tha’s father’s income to support the family, the medical costs of her condition are a strain on the family. They cannot afford the surgery that doctors have recommended for her.
According to BBP, Eh Tha has already received surgery for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to relieve the pressure of fluid in her brain and around her eyes. $1,500 will cover her second surgery to close the open wound.
Eh Tha’s mother shares: “I want my daughter to be healthy and happy. I just want my daughter to have surgery as soon as possible and recover.”