Lengai is a four-month-old baby boy from Tanzania. He is the second of his parents’ two children. His parents are pastoralist subsistence farmers in the hills. Lengai was born at home and was seemingly healthy until his head started swelling when he was about two weeks old. Since then, his head has continued to swell and the resulting pressure on his brain has caused his eyes to drift, and other motor functions to be affected. His head is also very heavy and it is difficult for him to hold it up.
Lengai has hydrocephalus, a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. Hydrocephalus is treatable if the condition is treated early before any ongoing damage is done on the brain from the swelling.
Lengai’s parents did not know what to do, but his father was advised by the parent of a previous patient of the Plaster House, a Watsi partner center, to go there for surgery and rehabilitation. $775 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Lengai needs. It is hoped that with the release of pressure on the brain that Lengai’s condition will be reversed.