Helping children with hydrocephalus

From The Mayo Clinic website:

Hydrocephalus is the buildup of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain. The excess fluid increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the brain.

Cerebrospinal fluid normally flows through the ventricles and bathes the brain and spinal column. But the pressure of too much cerebrospinal fluid associated with hydrocephalus can damage brain tissues and cause a range of impairments in brain function.

Hydrocephalus can happen at any age, but it occurs more frequently among infants and adults 60 and over. Surgical treatment for hydrocephalus can restore and maintain normal cerebrospinal fluid levels in the brain. Many different therapies are often required to manage symptoms or functional impairments resulting from hydrocephalus.

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I have come across children with hydrocephalus on numerous occasions over the years and have been able to offer financial support and access to appropriate services in several cases. In 2004 I met a boy living in a closet in an orphanage for 700 children in Kabul, Afghanistan. Unfortunately due to the circumstances in the country there was no possibility of getting treatment for the boy (Hamid) except for pain killers and extra staff support. His biggest wish was to go to the zoo and we did take him there. The woman in the burkha was the nurse:

In 2008 I met two children with hydrocephalus in the Kanti Children's Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. We made a contribution to help with their medical expenses:

While traveling in Cambodia in 2011 we came across this child in a village with a severe case of hydrocephalus. By the time we got back to Phnom Penh a few weeks to seek help the baby girl had already died:

Finally, on December 27th, 2018 we found this child with hydrocephalus in Angeles, The Philippines. The mother reported that the boy had never been seen by a doctor. We took some photos and got her contact number and we donated 500 Pesos (about $10 USD - she had never received such a large donation). 

It took me about 3 weeks but finally I have located a pediatric neurologist and we are able to schedule an appointment (next month) for a diagnosis and hopefully follow-up treatment which can be a shunt to relieve the pressure in the brain or surgery. Stay tuned, I will update this post when we know more.