Seven-year-old with hydrocephalus needs funds for surgery

Ephraim Collins and his mother Carlene wish Linda Bernard good luck with her haircut

From the time seven-year-old Ephraim Collins was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at two months old, his life has been a series of grave predictions from healthcare professionals who said that nothing could be done for him.

Hydrocephalus, also referred to as ‘water on the brain,’ is a swelling of the head caused by a buildup of fluid. Ephraim’s has grown to 88 cm and although he cannot walk, he is able to feed himself and has been speaking since he uttered his first word at 8 months old.

Despite the position of neurosurgeons who assessed Ephraim’s case, however, his parents did not give up hope, and a chance encounter with a stranger last December may have been the pivot that motioned a turn of events; an encounter Ephraim’s mother likens to a fairytale occurrence.