The family of an 11-month-old girl with a huge cone-shaped growth on her head is desperate to find a surgeon to remove it. Little MK Cruz was born with a condition that caused excess fluid to fill the internal cavities of his brain.

This meant that only half of his skull developed, while the outside formed a fluid-filled ball, larger than his head. His father, Reynaldo Cruz, a pedicab driver from Manila, Philippines, said the growth has begun to swell out of control.

The huge lump is now affecting his vision and they are trying to save money to have it removed. But reconstructive surgery is high risk and they are struggling to find a doctor willing to perform the operation. The 32-year-old said: “The doctor is confident that hopefully her eyes will be able to recover once the growth on her head is removed.

“But it’s a very risky operation and the doctors here said they can’t do both procedures.

“Without the operations, I don’t know what will happen to our daughter.” Without the operations, I don’t know what will happen to our daughter. Reynaldo CruzdadMK, who will celebrate his first birthday this month, needs a bypass procedure where a tube will be inserted into the brain to drain the fluid and redirect it to another location in the body.

After the excess fluid is drained, he will need another operation to repair his skull. Reynaldo added: “They told us that we had to wait for a doctor from the United States before we could do the second procedure because there was no one who could do it. operation in the Philippines.

“We are still not sure if there is someone willing to come here to perform the operation. Without surgery to repair his skull, he will be permanently deformed.” Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid in the brain. Excess fluid puts pressure on the brain, which can damage it.

Damage to the brain can cause a wide range of symptoms, including headache, malaise, blurred vision, and difficulty walking. The brain constantly produces new cerebrospinal fluid (about half a liter a day), while old fluid is released from the brain and absorbed. in the blood vessels. However, if this process is interrupted, the fluid level can build up rapidly, putting pressure on the brain.

Hydrocephalus most often affects infants and older people and can be present at birth, develop after birth, or in older people. Babies born with this condition need immediate surgery to avoid becoming permanently disabled. It can be successfully treated by placing a drainage tube in the head to remove the fluid.

Reynaldo’s partner and MK’s mother, Cathleen Keith Chavoso, 18, said neighbors and others in their community had helped the family with donations. He said that they are now saving for the operation, which is expected to earn several thousand dollars, even if I can find a doctor. Cathleen said: “My daughter can be saved. There are doctors who can do it. We will continue to fight for her.”