Maria is a less than 1-year-old baby with hydrocephalus or “water on the brain,” one of the most common abnormalities affecting children around the world. Hydrocephalus develops when the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid is blocked, causing a build up of excessive fluid in the ventricles of the brain. If left untreated, Maria’s doctors say the condition will lead to significant brain damage, developmental delays, blindness, and ultimately a premature death.
Fortunately, there’s a good chance that with surgery, Maria will life a full, normal life. Surgeons at CURE say this procedure will likely be “life-saving.”
Maria comes from a caring family. Her parents earn a modest living through subsistence farming. Maria’s mother noticed her daughter’s head abnormally increasing in size and immediately sought medical attention at the district hospital. She hoped the doctors there would provide a quick solution and Maria’s health would go back to normal. Instead, they told her that Maria had a condition that would require surgery and that she needed to get to the CURE Hospital as soon as possible. Since arriving at CURE, Maria’s mother feels encouraged by the other kids she has seen doing well after surgery, and she is hopeful that Maria will make a full recovery.