Roona Begum's head swelled to three times the normal size (left). But thanks to five operations to drain some of the excess fluid in her brain (right) her parents are hoping for a brighter future for her...
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When she was born doctors gave Roona Begum just months to live.
Her head - triple the size of that of an average baby - was filled with ten litres of excess fluid inside her brain, and was so heavy she could barely move.
But now Roona's parents are heralding the miracle transformation by their baby into a 'happy, playful little girl' after a crowd funding website, set up by two complete strangers, paid for a series of operations.
The swelling was caused by ten litres of excess fluid inside her brain. Her mother is now able to comfortably lift her daughter to comfort her...
Abdul and Fatima Begum describe a 'beautiful, happy baby' after a crowd funding site paid for a series of operations...
Fifteen-month-old Roona suffers from a rare condition called hydrocephalus - known as water on the brain.
Soon after she was born in a remote village in northeastern India, her head began to swell, and she was diagnosed with a severe form of the condition.
It grew to 94 centimetres - three times the size of an average baby - and the skin was pulled so tight across her face she could barely close her eyes.
Her parents were soon unable to carry her anywhere and even found it difficult to lift up their little girl and comfort her, CNN reports.
But now Abdul and Fatima Begum describe 'beautiful, happy baby'.
Her head, still significantly larger than it should be, has decreased to such an extent that she is able to move it, and open her eyes.
Although it is still painful for the little girl to lift her head up, she is described as 'playful' by her young parents and has become the 'centre of attention' of her village.
Unable to pay for their child's treatment, pictures were circulated by various news organisations, and a charity came forward to offer help.
Norwegian students, Jonas Borchgrevink and Nathalie Krantz, started an online campaign that raised $52,000 to help fund any further care needed.
The Fortis Foundation flew the poverty-stricken family from their rural village to the hospital in Gurgaon - where a cerebral shunt was carried out.
Fifteen-month-old Roona (pictured before surgery) suffers from a rare condition called hydrocephalus - known as water on the brain...
After five operations Roona's head has shrunk to a circumference of 58 centimetres - down from 94 centimetres...Doctors had already said that the youngster is lucky to be alive, with most sufferers of the condition not surviving beyond a year old.
After five operations Roona's head has shrunk to a circumference of 58 centimeters.
Speaking before the procedure was carried out, Dr Sandeep Vaishya, Director of Neurosurgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, who is treating Roona, said: 'I was surprised when I saw the baby for the first time. Even though I had seen her pictures, I wasn't expecting the head to be so big. 'Her head measures 94 cm, in similar cases the average measurement is around 50-60 cm.
'It is swollen to an extent that she is not able to close her eyes completely. We have an opthamologist looking at her eyes, so that there are no complications there.
'We are hopeful that she will make a complete recovery. The challenge is to drain her brain fluid in a gradual manner, so as the brain gets used to it.'
Fatima said: 'When she was born, I wondered why do children of poor people like us suffer this fate? 'Why is fate cruel to us? Why do rich people who can afford to cure their kids never get diseases like this?
Roona pictured before the operation. The skin on her head was pulled so tight across her face she could barely close her eyes...
Her parents Abdul and Fatima Begum now describe 'beautiful, happy baby'. But, pictured here before the operation, they once found it difficult to lift up their little girl and comfort her
'Before she was born, I went to a doctor twice. Once when I was one month pregnant and than when I was six months pregnant. We did not have money to go more often.
'She was born through a Caesarian operation and the doctor told us we had to take her out of Agartala to get her treated. But we did not have any money at all.'
At the time of learning of the generous charity effort, Abdul, who earns the equivalent of just £1.82 a day as a labourer thanked those who had helped Roona.
He said: 'I cannot find work every day. It's hard enough to earn for food, so her treatment would have been impossible had it not been for the press and hospital people who have helped us.'
Culled from The Daily Mail UK...
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Simply Cheska...
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