Victoria Kaapanda
A 21-year-old mother from Oshakati in the Oshana region has appealed for assistance from good Samaritans to come to the aid of her ailing son who is suffering from a severe condition called hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid occurs within the brain causing increased pressure in the head.
The mother, Rosaria Shimweoshili, said her nine-year-old son Kandali Asser was normal at birth, but after two to three months, his head started growing big.
“Kandali has been receiving treatment for the past months and he was last operated on in July this year at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital when shunts were inserted to remove water from his head,” said Shimweoshili. A shunt is a pipe required to remove water from the head.
In the absence of medical assistance for the past months, her son’s head has grown big, forcing the family to seek further treatment at private hospitals. The mother and father of the child are both unemployed.
The boy cannot do anything on his own and solely relies on his family for assistance.
According to Tuwilika Kayofa, who met the hapless mother and son at the local hospital, he can’t see and sit on his own as the pressure in his head is too severe.
“At the moment, the mother said, she does not receive any governmental monetary support since she doesn’t have an identity document,” Kayofa added.
In addition to medical assistance, Kayofa on her behalf is also pleading with the ministry of child welfare for the boy to be registered for a monthly social grant.
– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na