Gift is a handsome little guy from Zambia. Several weeks after he was born, his mother, Lucy, was concerned that his head was growing too rapidly. She sought a doctor’s opinion, but was told her son was fine. After a few months Lucy was still worrying; Gift’s head was continuing to grow. A member of the CURE International staff diagnosed Gift with hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the ventricles of the brain. The build-up of fluid leads to increased pressure in the brain, which can cause seizures, vomiting, and sometimes death.
For $1,750, Gift can receive a special surgery called an Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (a minimally invasive procedure in which the neurosurgeon uses a small telescope to relieve fluid buildup in the brain) to fix his condition. This surgery will give him a chance to grow up with his loving mother, Lucy, and lead a normal, happy life.