Meet Musa, a cute, four-year-old boy from a loving family in Tanzania. He is a happy and active boy, who loves to talk and ask many questions. At home, he enjoys playing with cars and playing balls with his little brother.
Musa was a healthy boy growing normally until the age of five months. After a bout of pneumonia, Musa began to have a growth on his head that was slowly increasing. When Musa’s parents failed to take their son for treatment, his acquired hydrocephalus grew and continues to grow to this day. Without surgical intervention, the swelling will place extreme pressure on his brain, resulting in vomiting, dizziness, blindness, and cognitive impairment.
Because his mother works as a small-time farmer and his father is an evangelist, they are unable to provide financial means for Musa’s medical treatment. $775 will cover costs for a shunt to be surgically inserted. This shunt will redirect the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in Musa’s skull and prevent further brain damage which can cause blindness. With rehabilitation and medicine, Musa will be healthy and strong again.
Musa’s mother shares, “It hurts to hear my son asking to be taken to school and for me to be unable to do so. I hope he will gain the ability to walk, so that he can walk to school like the other children.”
