Peter is a 15-month-old boy from Tanzania. When he was three weeks old, his mother noticed that his head was increasing rapidly in size. He could not hold his head up on his own. They visited a hospital, but the facility lacked a pediatric neurosurgeon. Fortunately, a well-wisher offered to help them travel to Kenya.
Peter and his mother traveled a long distance to reach our medical partner’s care center, Bethany Kids Kijabe Hospital, in Kenya. He was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. On December 12, he underwent a shunt insertion to drain the fluid from his brain.
Peter lives with his mother and older sibling at his grandmother’s home. His mother supports the family through subsistence farming. She cannot afford this expensive procedure, so our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 in funding.
“Peter is my hope,” says his mother. “I pray to God that someone will help fund his surgical care.”