


A Brazilian woman whose daughter’s head kept growing due to a rare condition claims her child is constantly ridiculed.
“I will love her until the last day of her life,” Adalgisa Soares Alves, 48, told Jam Press.
Her daughter, Graziely, suffers from hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the cavities deep inside the brain, which increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the organ, per the Mayo Clinic.
“Cerebrospinal fluid normally flows through the ventricles and bathes the brain and spinal column,” they write. “But the pressure of too much cerebrospinal fluid associated with hydrocephalus can damage brain tissues and cause a range of brain function problems.”
Due to the rapid accumulation of fluid, the sufferer’s head can swell up rapidly to an “unusual” size, as was the case with Graziely.
Alves first realized something was awry after experiencing abdominal pain while pregnant with the child — who’s the oldest of three siblings.
The discomfort snowballed to the point that by the time she was eight months pregnant, she struggled to get out of bed.
A subsequent ultrasound revealed that Graziely had a preternaturally large head for a newborn, after which doctors revealed the diagnosis.
Unfortunately, they estimated that she would only live for several months due to the buildup of liquid in the skull.
Now, at 29 years old, it appears that Graziely has defied the odds.
However, life hasn’t been a picnic: her head continued to swell throughout her life to the point where she’s now unable to walk, speak or see despite receiving multiple surgeries.
Graziely currently requires around-the-clock care with Alves — who is her full-time caretaker — feeding, cleaning and bathing her as she’s unable to do so on her own.
The struggles aren’t just physical: Graziely’s preternaturally large noggin has made her a magnet for insensitive remarks, which began when she was born and the doctors called her a “big 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,” lamented Alves. “Because then that is just being cruel.”
However, the determined mom doesn’t let the haters get her down. “The important thing is that me, and all our family and friends, love Graziely the way she is.”
“I’m dedicated to Graziely and it makes me happy to see her well cared for, from me and all of our family,” she declared “I’m happy to take care of her and it is rewarding when I see her smile.”
In a bid to raise awareness of her baby’s condition, Alves frequently posts video and picture updates of her pride and joy to Instagram page, which has over 8,000 followers.
In one clip with over 100,000 views the parent could be seen feeding Graziely from a bottle.
The internet masses were moved by Alves’ devotion to her child with one commenter writing, “God bless you so much.”
“This lady is an awesome mum,” praised another, while a third wrote, “Ms. Adalgisa, you are an angel, beautiful soul, may god bless you always.”
Currently, Graziely’s family relies on BPC payments — a non-contributory pension plan for those who are unable to work because of disability — to stay financially afloat.
Part of this goes to pay for diapers for her Graziely, which costs Alves a cool 2,250 reais (over $450) per month.
Despite the constant struggle, the devoted mother vows to never “lose hope.”
“I am a woman of great faith and I always put God above everything — I pray a lot every day,” Alves declared. “I always hope that she will live [for] many years.”