“Nurses were very scared when they saw my baby’s condition; it made me feel like I had given birth to something unusual,” said Sam’s mother, Esther. Sam, Esther’s one-month-old son, was born with encephalocele, a rare condition in which part of the brain protrudes outside the skull in a sac-like formation. If left untreated, encephalocele can lead to severe complications, including infections, neurological problems, or even death. While Esther was pregnant, she diligently attended all her maternity visits. At nine months, doctors conducted an ultrasound to assess how to deliver the baby safely. The scan showed that the baby’s neck was surrounded by the umbilical cord, though the details were not entirely clear. The day of delivery arrived, and complications arose during labor. The midwives noticed something unusual and asked Esther to stop pushing. “They thought the uterus was coming out. They were so worried. They hurriedly called other nurses for support, but no one knew how to help. They recommended a C-section,” Esther recounted. During the operation, the doctors realized it was not the uterus but a swelling caused by the encephalocele—a condition they had never encountered before. After delivery, the doctors referred Esther and Sam to another hospital for specialized care. “We were referred to the city, where we stayed in the hospital for one week. All they asked for was money for treatment, and we soon ran out, even struggling for basic upkeep,” Esther said. One morning, a doctor asked them to pay Shs 2 million for surgery. “When I heard this, I thought, let me take my baby home to die rather than stay in the hospital. We could not even afford a quarter of the amount,” she tearfully recalled. In despair, another mother with a baby who had been treated at CURE Uganda noticed Sam and told Esther about the hospital, which specializes in such conditions. “This was a relief. I did not know what to say except to thank God, and I hurriedly came. We are grateful to God for seeing us through that moment,” Esther said. Thank you so much for sponsoring baby Sam’s surgery. Your generosity gives him hope and a chance at a healthy life.