Grace is a four-month-old baby girl who lives with her parents and great-grandmother in a single-room house in Kenya.
In October 2015, at only two weeks old, Grace underwent surgery to treat spina bifida, a birth defect characterized by the incomplete closure of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord. “She was treated successfully and recovered from the surgery,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us.
“Two months later, Grace’s parents noticed that her head was increasing in size much faster than the rest of her body,” AMHF continues. They returned to the hospital, where Grace was diagnosed with acquired hydrocephalus, an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
“Grace is at a risk of brain stem compression due to the increased pressure from the excessive fluid in her head,” AMHF explains. To drain the excess fluid, Grace needs a shunt placed in her brain to divert the fluid to her abdomen, where it can be resorbed by her body.
Grace’s mother is a small-scale farmer, and her father is a tractor driver who works on a casual basis. “My husband’s small income is mostly spent on taking care of our grandmother,” shares Grace’s mother. “We are therefore not able to raise funds towards Grace’s surgery.”
For $615, Grace will undergo surgery and spend five days in the hospital as she recovers. Funding also covers the costs of imaging, blood work, and medicine.
“Grace’s surgery will help regulate her intracranial pressure and prevent brain stem compression that can result in death,” predicts AMHF.
Let’s help fund surgery for baby Grace!
