Meet Deneus, an eight-month-old baby boy from Haiti. His parents are small farmers in the Haitian countryside: his father works in the fields while his mother sells beans and corn in the streets.
“Deneus was very little when he was born – malnourished and very skinny,” reports our medical partner, Project Medishare. “He spent three months in the hospital receiving care to gain weight.” It wasn’t until Deneus hit four months of age, however, that his head “started swelling and getting large,” causing him to vomit and experience pain.
A CT scan revealed that Deneus has hydrocephalus – a condition where cerebrospinal fluid pathways in the brain become blocked, causing increased pressure. If left untreated, hydrocephalus could cause Deneus permanent mental dysfunction, loss of mobility and premature death.
$1,260 will fund treatment for his hydrocephalus – a shunt placement to drain the fluid, a five-day hospital stay, and the anesthesia and post-operation medication necessary for a successful surgery. The procedure will drain Deneus’ brain of excess fluid so that he will be able to grow up healthy and enjoy his childhood. Let’s help make this surgery happen for Deneus!