“Iqra is just four months old from the coastal region of Kenya,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “The last born in a family of five, Iqra has had sleepless nights due to the pressure on his brain due to the excess fluid in his head. His mother is a stay at home mother while the father is a motorbike transport operator who earns an average of $4 a day.”
At only four months old, Iqra has congenital hydrocephalus. This means that he has inherited a condition causing his brain to drain the fluid around it improperly. Hydrocephalus occurs when the fluid builds up, causing the head to increase in size and pressure on the brain. “Iqra has been experiencing high intra-cranial pressure which, if untreated, is likely to cause damage to his brain, eyes and potentially result in death,” reports AMHF.
To prevent any of the serious consequences, Iqra needs surgery to correct the drainage problem. Doctors from AMHF will insert a small shunt into the base of Iqra’s brain, therefore allowing the excess fluid to drain out of his brain and into other body cavities where it can readily be absorbed. This will decrease the pressure on his brain and allow his head to return to normal size.
“Since my son’s head started swelling I had to stop working to accompany his mother to and from the hospital, missing the chance to earn money to support my family,” explains Iqra’s father. With $615 in Watsi funding, Iqra will receive the surgery and be able to cover the costs of pre-operative care, surgery, a five day hospital stay, and medicines.
The surgery is important to stabilize Iqra’s intracranial pressure, preventing the serious consequences such as blindness and death.
