Baby Mesu's Cranio Fund
Donation protected
Baby Mesu was born July 21 with craniosynostosis, a birth defect affecting his skull. We have been overwhelmed with all the love and support we have received from our family and friends. After hearing that insurance won't pay for all of his helmet therapy and about his time in NICU and his surgery, several of you have asked for a way to contribute to his medical expenses so we created this. Thank you so much for your generosity and please continue to keep us in your prayers.
More about Mesu's Condition:
When a baby is born, his skull should still be soft in some areas. This allows the skull to expand as the brain grows. With craniosynostosis, some of the sutures in the skull close too early. In Mesu's case, the 2 coronal sutures closed early.
There was no indication of anything wrong during pregnancy, so his diagnosis was a total surprise. He spent 5 days in NICU meeting with a variety of specialists and having all sorts of tests run like a CT scan, MRI, and a couple of ultrasounds.
The craniofacial team at Duke recommended endoscopic surgery for Baby Mesu at 6 weeks old. This surgery would remove the sutures in his skull that had closed early, providing the space that should have been there to allow his brain room to grow. You can learn more about the surgery here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3A795CD48A440BC2
Mesu had the surgery on 8/31 and after 2 nights in PICU and 1 night in step down, he was able to come home! Our next step is helmet therapy. Now that his skull can grow with his brain, the helmet will guide the direction of that growth to help his skull achieve a more typical shape.
Where will the money go?
He will need at least 2 helmets and possibly 3, depending on how fast he grows. At this time, insurance will only cover 1 of the helmets and the other two are estimated at $2600 each. He also has expenses from his stay in NICU (which included transferring both of us from Durham Regional Hospital to Duke Hospital) and expenses from his skull surgery.
More about Mesu's Condition:
When a baby is born, his skull should still be soft in some areas. This allows the skull to expand as the brain grows. With craniosynostosis, some of the sutures in the skull close too early. In Mesu's case, the 2 coronal sutures closed early.
There was no indication of anything wrong during pregnancy, so his diagnosis was a total surprise. He spent 5 days in NICU meeting with a variety of specialists and having all sorts of tests run like a CT scan, MRI, and a couple of ultrasounds.
The craniofacial team at Duke recommended endoscopic surgery for Baby Mesu at 6 weeks old. This surgery would remove the sutures in his skull that had closed early, providing the space that should have been there to allow his brain room to grow. You can learn more about the surgery here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3A795CD48A440BC2
Mesu had the surgery on 8/31 and after 2 nights in PICU and 1 night in step down, he was able to come home! Our next step is helmet therapy. Now that his skull can grow with his brain, the helmet will guide the direction of that growth to help his skull achieve a more typical shape.
Where will the money go?
He will need at least 2 helmets and possibly 3, depending on how fast he grows. At this time, insurance will only cover 1 of the helmets and the other two are estimated at $2600 each. He also has expenses from his stay in NICU (which included transferring both of us from Durham Regional Hospital to Duke Hospital) and expenses from his skull surgery.
Organizer
Chrissie Koroivui
Organizer
Durham, NC