October 18, 2015
Meet Gideon, a three-month-old boy living in Kenya. Gideon was found wrapped in a towel as a newborn alongside a road, and he now resides in a foster home where he has been generally doing well.
“Gideon had no major health issues until recently when he became quite irritable,” says our medical partner, American Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).
Gideon has craniosyntosis, a birth defect in which the plates of his skull fused prematurely. This prevents Gideon’s brain from growing naturally and often results in a misshapen skull. If left untreated, the intracranial pressure may increase, resulting in potential brain damage and/or death.
“His condition has been deteriorating,” AMHF shares, “and unfortunately…the home that Gideon lives in is not able to raise the funds for his treatment.” With $1,260, Gideon can undergo a craniotomy to surgically remove a portion of the skull and release the intracranial pressure.
“We love Gideon so much,” says Grace, a well-wisher from Gideon’s foster home. “It will not be easy for him to grow up knowing that his parents abandoned him. We will give him the best we can to make him feel loved.”
Meet Gideon, a three-month-old boy living in Kenya. Gideon was found wrapped in a towel as a newborn alongside a road, and he now resides in...
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January 7, 2016
Gideon received successful surgery but did not require funding.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, explains: “Little Gideon was seen by a doctor when his guardians noticed that his head circumference was at the lower limits for his age and suspected that something was not right. Following a CT scan, the diagnosis was confirmed by a neurosurgeon to be Craniosynostosis (premature closing of the head in young children). The doctor requested that Gideon be admitted for opening of the suture line. Without the operation, Gideon’s life expectancy may not be beyond 2 years, due to pressure on his growing brain.”
Fortunately, Gideon underwent successful surgery. “Gideon spent five days in the hospital, following the surgery expansion craniotomy and reconstruction of the Sagittal Sutures. Before the operation, it appeared that there was a need for a costly neurosurgical procedure estimated to be $1,260. However, the operation was less complicated and the cost for surgery much less than initially expected. Social insurance cleared the bill on discharge.” Thus, Gideon did not require Watsi funding.
We are happy to report that Gideon is recovering well after his surgery, and has been discharged without complications.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, explains: "Little Gideon was seen by a doctor when his guardians noticed that hi...
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