Patriciah is the second born in a family of three children. At birth, Patricia was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition where the spine fails to close completely. A week after surgery was done and when her parents thought she was okay, little Patricia developed hydrocephalus. This is a condition where excess fluid accumulates in the skull causing the brain to swell. Surgery to insert a shunt was also done a week after the second diagnosis. Patricia has been in school in class two and fairing on well, until recently when she developed constant headaches. Painkillers have not been of much help to her. On review, a CT scan has revealed that Patriciah has a shunt malfunction and will require a shunt revision to correct the problem. If not treated, Patriciah is likely to suffer brain damage, be unable to attend school, loss of sight and potentially death.
Patriciah lives with her two siblings and mother in a one-roomed rental house in the Central region of Kenya. Her mother does casual tasks such as farming and laundry in the neighborhood to give her children a good life or a close to a good life. Her father, on the other hand, abandoned them three years back due to the demands of taking care of a special needs child. With a very menial income, she is not able to raise the funds needed.
