Meet Purity, a one-month-old baby girl from Kenya. Purity lives with her parents, who run a small shop in the local area to support the family.
“When Purity was born, one the first things her parents were notified of was that their daughter’s head was larger than the average of a newborn,” explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “After further investigation, the doctor confirmed Purity has hydrocephalus.”
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an excess of cerebrospinal fluid builds up, creating heavily pressurized areas in the brain.
As Purity grows and develops throughout her childhood, this condition could pose serious health complications, including vision loss and limited physical mobility.
For $980, Purity will receive surgery in which a shunt will be placed in her head to reroute the cerebrospinal fluid to the abdomen, where it can be more easily absorbed. “Purity’s surgical care will reduce the increased intracranial pressure in the brain which could be fatal,” says AMHF. “She will have a chance of leading a quality life.”
“Before Purity got sick, I did not know about hydrocephalus,” shares Purity’s father. “To be told of all the risks that our daughter is at because of this, shocks and saddens us. It was a great relief to hear from the doctor that hydrocephalus can be managed.”