Tiny Hands
- Shalika Padhi
- May 4, 2018
- 2 min read
Babies are the tiniest souls and all they require is a little love and attention. However for some, this is not the case...

Weekly Report 4/9/18 to 4/15/18
Watching children suffer the horrors of treatment and the detriments of brain diseases is something a parent should never have to see. Yet, unfortunately thousands of kids suffer the horrors of brain tumors, brain deformities, hemorrhages, and the list goes on.
Last Thursday was my sixth mentor visit and probably one of the most heartbreaking ones. Although it was an amazing learning opportunity, it was difficult to see newborns and infants face determinants that may cost them their life. The mentor visit started out with rounds of patients of various age ranges with multiple different conditions including tumors, hydrocephalus, cranial fracture, etc. It was an experience in itself to be able to see these patients and their conditions as well as discuss each individual case with Dr. Braga afterwards in order to absorb the information. Each set of CT or MRI scans showed a clear visual of tumors or a disjointed area of the spine. It was a truly an experience to be able to learn about each case and the symptoms, surgeries, causes, etc.
As we walked into the prenatal facility, Dr. Braga called me over to touch the head of a baby. Most of these children had either a congenital defect in their brain or may have suffered from an Ischemia which is an essentially a reduction in the flow of blood which can also cause a hemorrhage if the blood suddenly begins to flow. It was truly saddening to see the children being wired up to so many machines and IVFs, but it was relieving to see that they were getting some form of treatment in order to hopefully save their future.
In addition, the mentor visit furthered as we looked at multiple patients in Dr. Braga’s clinic. It was a learning experience as we discussed each case prior to walking into the waiting rooms to look at the patients. Learning about each individual case truly gave exposure to the daily life of a neurosurgeon as Dr. Braga was on call this week.
Overall, this week was dedicated towards understanding the fundamentals of a variety of cases. The next few weeks will be more geared towards final product and the research going into Chiari malformation. It should be a busy and productive week!
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