Rachel is an active and social 12-year-old girl from Kenya. Despite her challenges, she remains hopeful and optimistic about her future. Rachel is currently in Grade 7, but has paused her studies due to her medical condition.
Two days after Rachel was born, her mother noticed that Rachel’s head was enlarging and that her eyes appeared sunken. Rachel was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. Rachel underwent shunt insertion surgery to drain the excess fluid, but the shunt failed within days.
Rachel and her mother then journeyed 130 kilometers to our medical partner’s care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. There, Rachel underwent a successful shunt revision surgery, and her mother’s joy was beyond words. They returned home, and life improved significantly.
Unfortunately, hydrocephalus shunts can become blocked over time, making revision surgeries necessary. Rachel has had two more surgeries at three and seven years of age. She now requires another shunt revision surgery, so that she can resume her daily activities like other children her age. Without surgery, Rachel will experience severe physical and developmental delays.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $719 to cover the cost of surgery for Rachel that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 13th and will drain the excess fluid from Rachel’s brain.
Rachel shares, “I am in pain, I haven’t been able to go to school. I want to get better so that I can continue learning. I look forward to leaving the hospital feeling better so that I can go home, play with my siblings, and attend school.”
