Only two weeks old, little Ines lives with her mother, uncle, aunt and grandmother in a single-room rental house in Kenya. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Ines’ mother is a teenager and her father was recently imprisoned—making it difficult for Ines’ mother to afford her daughter’s medical care.
Ines has hydrocephalus—a condition that causes the head to enlarge due to an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. AMHF reports, “Ines is very irritable and her eyes seem affected by this condition.” If Ines’ condition goes untreated, the increased intracranial pressure is likely to cause brain damage or even death. Additionally, AMHF continues, “She is likely to suffer blindness if not treated.”
For $980, we can fund life-saving treatment for Ines. Doctors will surgically implant a shunt into the ventricles of Ines’ brain that will drain the excess fluid to another part of the body to be absorbed. Funding for this treatment will also cover the costs of a five-day hospital stay, medication and post-operative care.
AMHF predicts, “The surgery will help stabilize Ines’ high intracranial pressure, and hence reduce the risk of brain damage and blindness.”
“I just pray that my daughter gets well soon,” shares Ines’ mother.
