Rafael had an operation!

AiF. Dobroe Serdce

Charitable foundation · Moscow

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of RUB 327,932

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Rafael, who was born much prematurely, has scaphocephaly - the cranial sutures have grown together too quickly, trapping the child's growing brain in a vise. At an early age the disease does not manifest itself. Only by the strange shape of his head and the forehead protruding from beneath the hat could you tell that something was wrong with the boy. The older Raphael grew, the more the pathology threatened his health.

"Doctors said the disease could affect Raphael's development, provoke spikes in intracranial pressure, or cause vision problems. And in the future he would lag behind his peers in development. The fund "AiF. Kind Heart" fund and the Tuba app. Thanks a lot to everyone who took part in the collection for our son," says Diana Safarova.

Now Rafael is doing well. His head is normal, and the only reminder of the operation is the stitch from ear to ear. But with time hair will grow back on his head. A week after the cranioplasty, the baby is walking on his own. Now he walks a lot with his mom in the park and plays on the playground. There is no more danger to his health. Thank you for your help and kind hearts.

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About the campaign

Rafael needs surgery

Little Raphael Safarov from Norilsk has a very unusual head: a mound has sprouted on his forehead, and the back of his head protrudes because of the hat. The sutures of the skull had grown together too early, and the brain is developing, growing, and requires more and more space, which is simply not there.

It is because of craniostenosis (that's the name of the disease) that Rafael is whiny and doesn't sleep well at night. The disease is progressive and threatens developmental delays, spikes in intracranial pressure, and other troubles.

Raphael, the only survivor of the twins, was born at 23 weeks gestation weighing 690 grams at the beginning of the pandemic. While the world was confronting the first wave of the coronavirus, and Diana Safarova was not allowed to go to the hospital to see her son (there were no extra beds), Raphael suffered from pneumonia. Then he had an operation to excise an inguinal hernia. He was on ventilator and fed through a tube, but all the ordeals were within the boy's power. Now Raphael is able to hear and see clearly, he makes his first steps on the support, says his first words, and is reaching for the toys.

He has been through so much in his 1.5 years of life that the operation on his head seems a trifle. Doctors recommend that the child's skull be properly formed with biodegradable plates. One operation and Raphael will have a chance to catch up with his peers and live a full life.

For the final push, he needs 327,000. This is the cost of the plates needed for the operation.

Let's help this little boy overcome the crucial test!