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Daniel is Patience’s only son. He has suffered from hydrocephalus (‘water on the brain’) since he was a newborn. As if that weren’t enough, his mother is living with HIV. She is unemployed and is supported by her own mother.
Hydrocephalus is an enlargement of the fluid-filled chambers (ventricles) of the brain. The drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is impaired, which can lead to a build-up of CSF and pressure-induced enlargement of the ventricles. It can arise either prenatally due to malformations or cerebral haemorrhages, as in Daniel’s case, or at any age, for example due to infections, accidents or tumours. The effects vary from person to person. They range from minor impairment and specific learning difficulties to epilepsy or severe neurological deficits (as is unfortunately the case with Daniel). The drainage of cerebrospinal fluid can be regulated by implanting a shunt fitted with valves. The most recent CT scan of the skull (funded privately) revealed a malfunction (dislocation and infection) in this cerebral shunt, which is designed to divert the cerebrospinal fluid produced into the bloodstream. The result is now a renewed, damaging rise in intracranial pressure.
To help Daniel and prevent further damage, he had to undergo urgent neurosurgery to have the shunt repaired.
This has since been successfully carried out at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, and Daniel has been discharged to receive care at home from his overjoyed mother.
