A Skull Too Small: Niños Incapacitados Saves Lakeside Boy
Imagine being born with a skull too small for your growing brain. The soft
spots in a baby’s head fuse too early, pressure building as the newborn brain
cannot find room to mature.
It’s called craniosynostosis. An uncommon birth defect, it can be corrected
but is tremendously costly to the parents – especially if they are Lakeside
Mexicans of limited means.
This 2½-year-old boy faced delayed development, lethargy and difficulty
communicating as his brain slowly became malformed, his skull abnormally
shaped. However, his frantic parents approached Mexico’s Department of
Infants and Families (DIF), who referred them to Niños Incapacitados.
A 52-year-old charity, Lakeside’s oldest, Niños Incapacitados is dedicated to
helping local children with major disabilities and severe ailments. Basically, it
pays bills Mexican parents cannot afford for medical treatment, follow-up
hospital appointments, doctor visits, prescriptions, therapy, special tests,
transportation to and from appointments, and sometimes more.
“This young boy came to us in April as an atypical ‘terrible 2’s’ child, only
spoke a few words and was very unresponsive,” recalled Graciela Ducet,
Clinic Supervisor.
Hospital Civil de Guadalajara donated the surgery, free of charge, to reshape
the skull and allow the brain to grow normally, but required the parents to
provide surgical supplies, such as special metal plates and 22 screws to be
placed in the child’s skull. The total cost: $140,000 MXN (pesos), Ducet said.
Niños Incapacitados not only helped. President Lydia Bodin wrote and
electronically issued an appeal letter to donors – who responded within
hours with more donations than needed.
Surgery was successfully performed in May, and his recovery is right on
track. Long-term, follow-up visits and CT (computed tomography) scans to
monitor progress are underway. He will have to wear a special helmet for a
while to guide his skull to grow into the proper shape.
“Today, only four months after his surgery, he engages easily, has begun
speech therapy and proudly shows off his helmet,” Ducet said. “A full
recovery is expected.”
This is not the first time Niños Incapacitados has helped children like this,
she added. The charity serves families throughout Lakeside, from Chapala to
Jocotepec, whose children suffer from cancer, brain conditions, kidney
disease, paralysis, Down’s Syndrome and other disabilities.
To donate or for more information about Niños Incapacitados, go to
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