17 Months Old Ladasha Successfully Undergoes Open Head Surgery

Baby Ladasha Njoki, 17 months old, started having seizures when she was 14 months old occurring upto three times a day.

She was irritable and distanced herself from people and her mates whom she used to play with.
Her parents noticed that unlike other children her age, Ladasha couldn’t move on her own and her head size was bigger than expected.

“I expected that she would be running and moving around on her own but she could not. I thought she had delayed growth milestones but the seizures that would last a minute or less almost thrice a day. I was worried and decided to take her to the hospital,” Cheruto explains.

In one of the hospitals in Eldoret Town, Ladasha underwent an Electroencephalogram EEG test to measure her brain activity in which a Focal Onset Seizure was detected. She also underwent a CT scan on the head that showed there was a mass on the left side of the head and was referred to Dr. Florentius Koech, a Neurosurgeon at Tophill Hospital. However, her mother, Sheila, panicked when she heard about the mass thinking that it could be a sign of cancer.

“We decided to seek further medication in cancer institutions thinking it was something related to cancer. Our main focus was getting the best oncologist who would save our child but everywhere I went I was referred to Dr. Koech and because I hadn’t heard of him I was reluctant, “she adds

Jennifer Kimeli, Ladasha’s grandmother, after noticing that her grandchild was experiencing seizures thought she was epileptic and consulted a herbalist who gave her herbal medication for 3 weeks.

“I talked to my mother about Ladasha’s situation and later consulted a woman herbalist who gave her medication. After taking the herbal medicine for 3 weeks, the condition worsened and we were forced to seek medication in a hospital,” says Jeniffer

On October 3, Sheila Cheruto with a heavy heart, accompanied by her mother, Jeniffer, walked into Tophill Hospital where the baby was examined by Dr. Florentious Koech, a Neurosurgeon who advised them to have the baby undergo an MRI scan.

“The MRI showed a clearer picture of the mass that had grown in Ladasha’s brain. The doctor advised an open head surgery to be done urgently because it was affecting her and causing discomfort. I was against the surgery together with some of my brothers and we decided to go home and discuss it first,” she says.

The mass had grown very big and was located at a delicate part of the brain. The family, after consultation, returned to Tophill hospital the following day after a lengthy discussion with Dr Koech, who assured them that the child would be okay after the surgery, and agreed to have the procedure done.

“I was skeptical at first thinking that my child would not be able to handle the surgery being so little. I thought of the stories I have heard before of many people who undergo head surgeries not making it. My heart sank but after a talk with the doctor I felt relaxed and trusted God that the surgery would be successful,” she says.

According to Dr. Florentius Koech, the tumor had grown big contributing to the abnormal size of the child’s head.

“The MRI confirmed that she had a Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumor, a type of tumor that grows over time since one is a child. Some children are born with it while some growth during the early childhood stages and continue growing slowly occupying a lot of space,” explains Dr. Koech.

He explains further that the tumor had engulfed the brain and was situated on the eloquent side of the brain that controls movement, speech, and other important body functions making the surgery complicated.
On October, 5, Ladasha underwent surgery and the doctor was able to remove the whole tumor successfully.
Her mother, still in shock, was pleased beyond words when she was called three hours after the surgery to attend to Ladasha who was already up at the Intensive Care Unit.

“I could not believe it. I thought it was a miracle. I was told to wait for an hour before I could breastfeed her. 30 minutes later I was able to breastfeed her. The next day at around midday, Ladasha responded very well and was in a stable condition. We were then moved from the ICU to the ward. I am grateful,” she exclaims
Ladasha’s grandmother, Jeniffer Kimeli on her part remembers how the family members present at that time broke into dance when they heard that the surgery was successful.

“We celebrated, we jumped and danced when we found her awake and crying. The hospital gave us space to celebrate. It was a miracle to us as a family,” she says.

Dr. Koech explains that Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumor is one of the rarest tumors contributing to 0.5 to 1 percent of all brain tumors in childhood.
The common symptoms of this condition is irritability and abnormal size of the head in children at an early stage.
The condition, if not diagnosed at an early stage is life-threatening
Baby Ladasha is now doing fine recovering at home and will be visiting the doctor for reviews.