A toddler was born with a rare tumour which causes over 250 seizures a day. Little Viraaj Nayak was diagnosed with hypothalamic hamartoma a very rare non cancerous tumour on the area of the brain that controls the production and release of hormones at just two weeks old. Parents Jyotishree Mishra, 36, and Priyatam Nayak, 37, struggled to get their newborn to sleep or feed and were horrified when he had a seizure at just five days old.
Following a CT scan and further tests, doctors found the tumour but the parents have struggled to find neurosurgeons willing to operate. Viraaj suffers with over 250 drug resistant seizures a day - which can sometimes last up to 14 hours each - and has a sodium imbalance. The parents searched the world for a surgeon who would operate on Viraaj and have flown to New York, US to pay $460,000 AUD for open skull surgeries to hopefully successfully remove all the tumour.
Priyatam, a software engineer, from Sydney, Australia said: "The seizures have increased. The seizures are constantly happening. He's a fighter.
He wants to live." Viraaj was born on March 27, 2023 but his parents quickly realised something wasn't right. Jyotishree, a mum-of-two, said on GoFundMe: "He exhibited distress, refused to feed or sleep, and experienced alarming symptoms such as severe seizures and fluctuating sodium levels.
His tiny body became stiff and his neck would be bent to one side for hours and he was making fussing sound." Viraaj Nayak was diagnosed with hypothalam.