Ashwini, 6 months old child, came to us with a flat face and deformed head. The joints of her skull bone were fused earlier than in a normal child. This has started putting pressure on her brain restricting its growth. Though otherwise normal, Ashwini, if not operated, her skull deformity would have become more pronounced. Pressure on her brain would have affected her cognitive skills. The flattening of forehead also reduced the protection to the eyes because they started protruding out of the skull.

We explained to her parents that she would need a major surgery to release the fused part of the skull and reshaping of the skull to bring to normal shape. This surgery was a combined effort of the plastic and neurosurgeon and the surgery lasted for 4-6 hours. The approximate cost was around Rs. 70,000, which was subsidised in Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute. Aswini's father, who is working as a gate keeper in a higher secondary school, started raising funds with the help of many students of the school. He managed to raise part of this fund and the remaining part was paid by the charitable trust “Shubhangam”. She was successfully operated in March 2004 and now she has normal skull shape with unrestricted growth of the brain.

It is always the combined efforts of the parents of the child and doctors to help children with various deformities.