“Shortly after Christmas 2015 when Elizabeth was only a few months old, she began vomiting whenever she ingested anything,” reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Doctors in their native Kenya told Elizabeth’s parents that their daughter has congenital hydrocephalus and needs surgery to get better.
Elizabeth’s hydrocephalus causes an excess of cranial fluid to build up in her skull and put pressure on her brain. This makes Elizabeth dizzy, irritable, and sick. AMHF says, “Elizabeth is exposed to the risk of having delayed development, which could result to brain damage and eventually death.”
Elizabeth’s parents are reassured that their daughter’s condition is treatable but they cannot afford the cost of her care. AMHF shares, “Her father repairs motorbikes to efficiently supply for the family needs while her mother is a housewife. All they would ever want is to see their first born daughter healthy and doing well.”
For $615, Elizabeth will undergo surgery to have a shunt placed in her head to release the excess fluid. This operation will relieve the pressure on her brain and eliminate her risk of irritability, nausea, and more serious long term complications. Her mother shares: “I want to see Elizabeth live to tell it all, please help her get treated.”