Twelve-month-old Lomayani is a happy baby boy who lives with his family in Tanzania. When he turned five months old, Lomayani got very sick. He had a high fever, which took a while to control. When he recovered from the fever, his head slowly started to increase in size.
“He used to be very active and growing well,” shares Lomayani’s mother, “but now he is slowly losing his activeness.”
Lomayani has hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. Too much fluid can increase pressure on the brain and inside the skull, leading to an enlarged head and developmental issues.
Lomayani had been able to control his neck, but he no longer can do so because his head is too heavy to hold up. He can still see properly, and he is able to use his hands to hold toys and his mother’s beaded earrings and necklaces, which he enjoys playing with. Lomayani needs surgery to manage the hydrocephalus so that further brain damage will not occur.
Lomayani’s parents are small-scale farmers, and they also keep a few livestock. With five children to look after as well as other extended family members who depend on them, it has been difficult to come up with enough cash to cover the cost of the care that Lomayani badly needs.
For $775, Lomayani will undergo an operation to place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain and transport it to his abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding also covers the costs of five days of hospital care, including imaging, blood work, medicine, and dressing changes for his wound, as well as two weeks’ accommodations at The Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation after surgery.
“I worry about my baby’s health,” Lomayani’s mother says. “I hope he will get well and continue with normal growth.”