DEFYING THE ODDS
My daughter’s head has TRIPLED in size – sick trolls taunt her but she’s beautiful to me
A MUM has shared shocking images of her daughter who's head tripled in size due to a rare and fatal condition.
The progressive illness has left Graziely Soares Alves, age 29, bed-bound, unable to talk and recently blind.
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Her doting mother and fulltime carer, Adalgisa Soares Alves, from Brazil, said people often refer to her daughter as a "giant baby".
“I don't think it's cruel because 'baby' is an affectionate word, but when they call out her 'big head' I feel sad," the mum-of-three said.
Adalgisa first knew something was wrong with her daughter when she started experiencing intense belly pain while pregnant.
An ultrasound revealed Adalgisa's baby had hydrocephalus - a rare illness which affects around one in every 500 babies.
Read more on hydrocephalus
The condition causes an abnormal build-up of fluid around the brain which can cause damage to the internal tissues and deform the shape of the skull.
It can even be fatal if the pressure damages parts of the brain responsible for keeping the heart and lungs working.
Doctors predicted Graziely would only live for three months given the severity of the condition.
However, the young woman defied the odds and will be turning 30 next month.
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Adalgisa has been unable to work due to acting as Graziely's full-time carer.
She said: "Every day I take care of her, bathe her and feed her with all my love.
"I'm dedicated to Graziely and it makes me happy to see her well cared for, from me and all of our family.
"I don't work, I just take care of her — I'm happy to take care of her and it is rewarding when I see her smile.
"I never lose hope because I am a woman of great faith and I always put God above everything — I pray a lot every day."
The family, who live in São Luís in north-eastern Brazil, are reliant on disability payments from the Government.
However, they still face a number of challenges due to the cost of caring for Graziely and keeping her as comfortable as possible.
In one clip, which has racked up over 113,414 views, Graziely is shown having a bottle being fed to her.
Users flocked to the comments to share their words of support.
"God bless you so much," one person said.
Someone else added: "Ms. Adalgisa, you are an angel, beautiful soul, may god bless you always."
Others, however, weren't so kind.
"I'm sorry this couldn't be me I couldn't see my child like this everyday," one cruel person added.
Adalgisa, who is also mum to Elanny, 28 and Bruna, 26, added: "I always hope that she will live [for] many years.
"She transmits positive energy and I feel a peace that overflows when someone visits her.
“I will always give her the best because she was born from my womb, she was very much loved and desired inside my belly and I will love her until the last day of her life.”
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What are the symptoms of Hydrocephalus?
The symptoms of the condition are as follows:
- An usually large head
- An increase of size in the head
- A bulging soft spot on the top of the head
- Nausea and vomiting
- Lethargy
- Poor eating
- Irritability
- Seizures
- Problems with muscle tone and strength
- Eyes fixed downwards
Source: Mayo Clinic
Hydrocephalus can occur at any age, but it is most common in infants and adults over 60.
Experts believe it can be caused by a condition such as spina bifida, or an infection the mother develops during pregnancy, such as mumps or rubella.
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