Daisy when I first met her, unable to even hold her head up, and after her surgery (inset), alert and able to play

Delivering Miss Daisy

A priceless opportunity to change the life of a little girl

Dear Friends,

Certain days you hear news that totally wipes you out. Sometimes it’s good news that gets your day off to a great start. Other times you are glad you opened that email while still in bed so that you can just quietly close your laptop, pull the covers over your head, and try to shut out the pain. Today I opened an email of the good variety, thankfully, and I want to share it with you.

Daisy is an 11-month-old girl living in a small village outside of Kitale, Kenya. She was born at home, and soon developed hydrocephalus (the accumulation of fluid within her skull, often referred to as “water on the brain”). But Daisy’s poor parents, who were barely able to feed her and her two siblings, never took her to a doctor.

As Daisy grew, so did the pressure inside her head, causing the still-soft bones of her skull to expand at an alarming rate. When I met her she was lethargic, unable to sit upright, and running a very high fever. I could see that Daisy’s condition required immediate attention.

Through a trusted network of partners on the ground we were able to get Daisy a proper diagnosis and treatment, which included surgically inserting a shunt to drain the fluid. From the time I first met Daisy until her return home from the hospital was 17 days. Here’s a excerpt from an email I received concerning her recovery: “People in the community are coming, wondering about the MIRACLE. Big testimony and all the glory to God.” The cost for the surgery that has delivered Daisy from this life-threatening condition, paid for by donations to the Disabilities Ministry, was just US$515.

Daisy is now able to sit up on her own, and she’s much more energetic and playful. Time will tell how much the prominence of her enlarged head will slowly recede as her body grows into it, but please pray that Daisy will be able to live a normal life from this point on, free from any other physical or emotional side effects.

Thank you Jesus and thank you donors! Your prayers and continued support are making a vast impact all over the globe. You guys are great—you are changing lives one smile at a time. Thank you so much for your continued support.

Because of Him,

Carmen Parise
Director, Disabilities Ministry