Layla is a beautiful five-month-old baby girl from Kenya. When she came in, her mother held her tightly as she was crying through pain and discomfort.
For her mother, everything had seemed normal since Layla’s birth. Her little girl had been growing well, and there had been no reason to fear that anything was wrong. However, early last month, Layla’s mother began noticing concerning changes with her daughter.
Desperate for answers, Layla’s mother, Lena, immediately rushed her daughter to a nearby medical facility close to their home. There, Layla underwent an MRI scan. The results brought devastating news. Doctors diagnosed her with Hydrocephalus, a condition Lena had never imagined would become part of her daughter’s story.
This condition causes excess cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in the brain, increasing intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Layla has been experiencing an enlarging head, which began to progress at an alarming rate. Soon after this began, her mother noticed that her eyes appeared sunken as well. Then came even more worrying signs: Layla lost neck control and could no longer sit on her own, things she had previously been able to do.
Unfortunately, the facility they went to could not offer the specialized treatment Layla urgently needed, and Lena was advised to seek help elsewhere. In what felt like a moment of hope, a friend who knew about BethanyKids referred them here.
Today, baby Layla urgently needs surgery. But for Layla’s mother, accessing this life-changing treatment feels out of reach. Unemployed and raising Layla alone after her father left before Layla’s birth, she was forced to move back in with her parents. Since then, her family has become her only support system, relying entirely on small-scale farming to survive and care for both mother and child.
Through tears and heartbreak, her mother tells us how deeply worried she is for her daughter. Watching Layla struggle to do things she was once able to do has been incredibly painful. Lately, the discomfort has become harder to bear. Layla cries often, overwhelmed by pain.
Now, she holds onto one simple but powerful hope: that her daughter will receive the medical attention she urgently needs and be given the chance to grow, heal, and live a healthy, happy life. Without treatment, Layla will experience severe physical and developmental delays.
Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is able to help and is requesting $719 to cover the cost of surgery for Layla that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 27th and will drain the excess fluid from Layla’s brain, reducing intracranial pressure and greatly improving her quality of life. With proper treatment, Layla will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl.
“As a mother, all I want is to see my daughter healthy again. I hold onto hope that one day, Layla will laugh, play, and grow into the happy little girl I dream of every day,” Layla’s mother said.
