Patrick is a happy and active 22-month-old boy who lives with his parents and older sibling in Tanzania. “Patrick was born with a closed meningomyelocele, and three weeks later, the size of his head started to increase,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).
A meningomyelocele—a type of spina bifida—is a birth defect in which several vertebrae in the lower back do not close properly, leaving the baby’s spinal canal exposed. The spinal cord and its surrounding membranes protrude through the opening in the backbone. As many as 90 percent of children with meningomyelocele also have hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain that causes the head to increase in size.
“Patrick needs meningomyelocele closure as well as shunt insertion to prevent him from bigger health problems [such as] accidental injury to his back [or] loss of vision due to increased intracranial pressure,” explains AMHF.
Patrick’s parents are small-scale farmers who grow and sell maize and millet to support the family. Their income is barely enough to meet the family’s basic needs, leaving no funds to pay for the surgery that Patrick needs.
For $1,200, Patrick will undergo two surgical procedures. In one procedure— meningomyelocele closure—surgeons will place the spinal cord and nerves back inside the backbone and cover them with membranes before closing the opening in Patrick’s spine. In the second operation, surgeons will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain and transport it to his abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding also covers the costs of five days of hospital care, imaging, blood work, medicine, and two weeks of accommodations at the Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation.
After surgery, “Patrick will be out of the risk of sudden increase of intracranial pressure and loss of vision,” AMHF tells us.“I hope my son will one day have the ability to sit, and as he continues to grow, he will learn to do a few things on his own and not become completely dependent,” shares Patrick’s mother.