An eighteen-year-old, Joyceline Bartua said, she has gotten so tired of coping with the ailing condition of her 10-month old son, Joseph Thomas.
Baby Joseph was not born with the condition he now finds himself bearing, and so, the mother, Ms Bartua, has appealed to the public for help and or supports.
Due to the ailing condition of Baby Joseph, her mother, a 10th grade student, had not entered class room since she conceived.
Worst of all, Baby Joseph’s father had abandoned the mother, who now cares for the baby with the help of the foster-parents.
Although doctors at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC) in Sinkor, diagnosed the baby with hydrocephalus, (water in the brain), the condition has worsened without any help or supports.
Hydrocephalus is a medical condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain’s ventricles (veins). This buildup increases pressure within the skull and can lead to brain damage if untreated. It may result from overproduction, blockage, or poor absorption of CSF.
Hydrocephalus can affect people of all ages, with symptoms varying by age, such as an enlarged head in infants or headaches, vision problems, and cognitive issues in adults.
Early diagnosis and treatment, often involving surgical shunts or endoscopic procedures, are crucial to prevent complications.
“The JFK doctors also performed shunt insertion surgery to resolve the condition of Baby Joseph’s head, but since the procedure was done last year, the baby is yet to sit or stop crying, apparently suffering from excruciating pains. He sucks my breast without letting me to rest,” Ms. Bartua told this newspaper in tears.
As it is, the baby head grows, while the eyes sink. Worst of all, at age 10-month, Baby Joseph does not sit by himself; his neck cannot straighten, nor can he stop crying.
“Before going to the JFKMC, we visited various clinics, including the Peace Home and James David, where doctors there advised us to seek advanced medical treatment,” Ms Bartua said, while appealing for held or supports from any well-meaning Liberians or any foreign residents.
To reach Baby Joseph and his Mother: they live in the NewLife Community in Johnsonvile, outside Monrovia with cell numbers: 0770729694/0775478922/0887351391
