Bethwel is a newborn baby from Kenya who’s not quite two weeks old. “He naps calmly on his young mother’s lap,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).
Bethwel was born with congenital hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates on his brain. “Bethwel has an abnormal head size due to accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain. If not treated, accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid may cause brain damage,” AMHF says.
Surgery to treat Bethwel will cost $615. Doctors will install a shunt in his brain, which will drain the excess fluid to be re-absorbed elsewhere in the body. This live-saving procedure will prevent brain damage and reduce Bethwel’s head swelling.
“Bethwel’s mother is fifteen years old, she was orphaned at a very tender age,” AMHF says. “Bethwel’s father abandoned them when he learnt that she was expectant … Bethwel’s mother depends fully on Bethwel’s grandparents who are subsistence farmers with no other source of income. They are therefore not able to raise the funds required for Bethwel’s surgical care, which according to the doctor is urgent.”
“I am glad my son was diagnosed and now we know what we are fighting!” Bethwel’s mother says. “If only we could raise the funds required for his treatment. I am dependent on my grandparents and they are aged and so they cannot help much. I will appreciate any help accorded to Bethwel.”
