The McCawley Family

Last week we had the privilege of visiting Cure Hospital in Mbale, Uganda. One of Ekisa's patients who suffers from hydrocephalus began to show signs of a blocked shut and was rushed up to Cure for emergency surgery. For those unfamiliar, Hydrocephalus is the over accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain which leads to swelling, increased cranial pressure and probable death if not dealt with. To correct Hydrocephalus, neurosurgeons insert a shunt (drain tube) through the skull, into the brain that drains the excess fluid into the abdomen. For some unknown reason, rates of Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida are significantly higher in East Africa compared to most places in the world. Prior to Cure Hospital, patients and parents in Sub-Saharan Africa had little hope of a cure. Jenna needed to travel to Cure to check on her patient and to bring a change of clothes and some goodies to our little buddy and the wonderful Ekisa momma that was staying with him so we elected to go as