At only 4 months of age, Abigael from Kenya has already spent half her life in a hospital.
She was born pre-term and as soon after she was born, she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Her parents were informed that she would require a shunt (a small hole which allows the movement of fluid from one part of the body to another) but unfortunately, due to lack of funds, Abigael is yet to receive the required surgical care.
Abigael’s parents know that delayed care increases chances of further complications and are in dire need of financial assistance to treat their youngest child. If not treated, there will be obstruction of the cerebral spinal fluid may cause brain damage. Increased intracranial pressure inside the skull may also cause progressive enlargement of the head and potentially cause mental disability and tunnel vision.
Abigael’s parents work hard to provide for their young family but the little they earn is not enough to cater for Abigael’s $615 medical expenses. Her parents are farmers and earn most of their humble income from picking tea. They all live in a two-room house together with Abigael’s older sibling in the Rift Valley region of Kenya.
“I hope my child can get treatment so she can grow and go to school with other children,” says Abigael’s mother.