A mother in Harper City has made a passionate appeal to save her five-months-old daughter, Baby Marthaline.
Baby Marthaline battles a mysterious medical condition that has caused her head to grow to an ‘abnormal size.’
Madam Marthaline David said, recalled how her baby’s condition, which now worries her, began when she was just three months old.
“What started as a slight swelling has since worsened, leaving the infant visibly distressed, and the mother helpless. My baby’s head keeps getting bigger every day. She cries a lot, and I don’t know what to do anymore,” Madam David said, during an interview.
She recounted the way she took the ailing child to the hospital, but doctors said, she needs medical tests to find out what is causing the head rise.
According to Madam David, health workers at J.J. Dossen Memorial Hospital, have recommended urgent medical tests to determine the cause of the condition.
The estimated cost of the tests is US$100.
But Madam David, who is a low-income earner, said, she has no means to raise the money.
“I have tried everything. I borrowed from neighbors, and family, but it is not enough. US$100 is too much for me right now. I am begging well-meaning Liberians, and organizations to help me so my baby can get the treatment she needs.”
Medical professionals suspect the condition could be related to hydrocephalus, or another neurological issue, but they cannot confirm without the required scans, and lab work.
Neighbors, and community members, who have seen the baby say, the situation is urgent, and that delay could worsen the child’s chances of recovery.
Baby Marthaline is currently being cared for at home while the family waits for support to cover the cost of the medical evaluation.
Madam David has meanwhile, called on the government, NGOs, churches, and kind-hearted individuals to come to the aid of the baby.
