- Nara Ariska was diagnosed with hydrocephalus after she was born
- The rare condition causes spinal fluid to accumulate in her brain
- It causes her to suffer from headaches, nausea and eyesight trouble
- Her parents have sold everything they own to raise money for treatment
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
2
View
comments
These are the heartbreaking images of a baby who suffers from a rare condition which causes her head to grow to an abnormal size.
Nara Ariska, 10-months-old, from a remote part of Indonesia, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when she was born.
Spinal fluid is blocked from flowing through her brain as a result of the rare condition, causing it to accumulate in her skull.
It has caused her head to grow at an alarming rate and leaves her suffering from headaches, nausea, vomiting, confusion and eyesight trouble.
Nara Ariska, 10-months-old, from a remote part of Indonesia, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when she was born. The condition is a build-up of fluid on her brain and causes her headaches, nausea, vomiting, confusion and eyesight trouble
Medical officers in her village visited her family earlier this year and promised to pay for treatment to rid her of the condition.
However, her parents are yet to see any action and have taken matters into their own hands as the condition can be fatal if left untreated.
In a desperate attempt to cure her, Nara’s family have sold everything they own to raise fund for treatment, using a shunt.
-
NHS paying £33-an-hour for volunteers willing to have their…
Ever had food poisoning? Why YOU could be more at risk of…
The test that saved Ben Stiller’s life: Star credits…
Teenager whose fragile skin falls off at the slightest touch…
The brain and spine are surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is essential for cushioning the organ, providing nutrients and removing waste products.
The organ constantly produces new CSF (about a pint a day), while old fluid is released from the brain and absorbed into the blood vessels.
However, if this process is interrupted, the level of CSF can quickly build-up, placing pressure on the brain.
Surgeons would implant a thin tube into her brain to drain away the excess cerebrospinal fluid which is causing her head to swell.
Medical officers in the village she originates from visited her family earlier this year and promised to pay for treatment to rid her of the disease. However, her parents are yet to see any action and have took matters into their own hands
It would be transferred to another part of the body – normally in the abdominal cavity – where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
It is believed the life-saving operation can cost anywhere between £5,000 – £10,000.
WHAT IS HYDROCEPHALUS?
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
The excess fluid leads to increased pressure on the brain which can cause damage to the brain tissue.
The main symptoms of hydrocephalus are: headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion and problems with vision (for example, blurred or double vision).
The key treatment for hydrocephalus is a shunt.
This is a thin tube implanted in the brain to drain away the excess CSF to another part of the body (often the abdominal cavity, the space around the bowel) where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
If left untreated, it carries the risk of long-term mental and physical disabilities as a result of permanent brain damage and can be fatal.
The prospects are good for sufferers if operated on at the right time.
But if left untreated, the excess fluid can increase pressure on the brain which can cause damage to the brain tissue.
In the most severe cases, patients lose their ability to speak and can go blind.
Due to the weight of the head, they are often unable to sit down and are mostly bedridden.
Many wrongly believe hydrocephalus is a build-up of water in the skull because of the word’s Greek origin.
It follows a similar case earlier this year where a two-year-old boy’s head weighed 20 lbs (9kg) as a result of the condition.
The toddler from southern Bangladesh was delivered by Caesarean section with a slightly bigger than normal head – but it continued to grow.
It left him unable to talk, walk or even move his limbs – forcing his parents to take care of him constantly.
While in August a baby suffering from hydrocephalus in India was abandoned by his parents as a result of the condition.
Royal Kumar’s biological parents couldn’t accept his difficulties and abandoned him.
Thankfully, his relatives adopted him and even donated all of their life savings in an attempt to save his life and rid him of his constant pain.
In a desperate attempt to cure her of her suffering, the family have sold everything they own to raise funds (pictured with her father Mr Rahman)
Share or comment on this article
-
e-mail
Most watched News videos
- CCTV captures final tragic moments of Mirna Salihin’s life
- Mother shaves daughters hair after she ‘bullies cancer girl’
- GRAPHIC CONTENT: ‘Ghost’ rises from body after fatal crash
- Bulls head butt each other then die instantly from brutal blow
- Shocking moment girl gets viciously beaten after starting fight
- Mother releases devastating footage of son’s final moments
- Lorry smashes into car leaving driver with severe injuries
- Is this the creepy moment the corpse of a girl OPENS her eyes?
- ‘Big fat gypsy wedding’ in Romania goes on for FOUR days
- Groom ALREADY tired of marriage life just after 15 minutes
- ‘Pascal’s a G!’ Kim Kardashian speaks well of her bodyguard
- GoPro captures the moment a croc swims amongst swimmers
-
Donald’s Great Escape: Trump keeps his campaign alive with…
-
Today show’s Savannah Guthrie tells viewers about Billy…
-
‘Bill raped me and Hillary threatened me!’ Trump unveils…
-
Inside Angelina Jolie’s new neighborhood that is so…
-
Daughter live streams her parents on a ‘heroin binge’ after…
-
Matthew’s destruction from above: Shocking aerial photos lay…
-
The real winner of the second debate? The internet falls in…
-
Will this be the dirtiest debate ever? Anderson Cooper to…
-
Pictured: The group of teenage friends who were all killed…
-
ATMs too tall to reach, staircases to nowhere and a VERY…
-
Florida girl, four, who was abducted from her bed is spotted…
-
Mike Pence is ‘waiting for the outcome of second…
Comments (2)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now