Leading the way in groundbreaking brain surgery for babies

This story originally appeared in the Calgary Herald on May 9, 2026

While Willena De Jongh was pregnant, she and her husband, Brendan, received news no expectant parents imagine hearing. Routine scans showed that their baby girl, Moriah, would be born with Dandy-Walker malformation — a rare brain condition.

Moriah’s early months were spent in and out of the Alberta Children’s Hospital. By three months old, it was clear the malformation had led to hydrocephalus, a dangerous buildup of fluid pressing on her brain, which meant Willena and Brendan found themselves facing a difficult decision about treatment.

They were compassionately guided through the options available, giving them space to consider what felt right for Moriah.

Hydrocephalus is often treated with an internal shunt, a highly effective surgically-implanted device that drains excess fluid from the brain into the abdomen. However, shunts require lifelong management and can become blocked or infected. In fact, 30 to 40 percent of shunts block within the first two years, often leading to hospital stays and additional operations — leaving families with the ongoing worry that life can change in an instant.

For kids over two, a procedure called Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) is available, which removes the need for internalized tubing, but this procedure wasn’t suitable for babies as young as Moriah.

The Alberta Children’s Hospital was the first site in western Canada to offer an innovative procedure specifically for babies with hydrocephalus, offering families a newer, safer treatment. Called Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy with Choroid Plexus Cauterization (ETV/CPC), this procedure eliminates the lifelong need for a foreign implanted device in a child’s brain and body. There is new data which indicates that ETV/CPC improves quality of life for kids and families, and all but eliminates the risk of infection associated with internal hardware.

Pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin has trained extensively in this technique. He brought it to Calgary when he was recruited to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in 2015.

“Because this procedure does not introduce a foreign body into the child’s body, it places them at a lower risk of infection. It’s so important to me to be able to offer options that ensure the greatest long-term benefits, because every child deserves the best possible chance at a healthy and fulfilling life.”
— Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin

Community support allows the Alberta Children’s Hospital to recruit top talent and gives them advanced tools to support their work, including the leading-edge equipment used by the neurosurgery team.

After careful consideration, Willena and Brendan decided to proceed with the ETV/CPC, which was the first Dr. Riva-Cambrin performed in Calgary. There was reassurance in knowing he is a world-leading expert in this type of hydrocephalus treatment and they felt hopeful about Moriah’s future.

Dr. Riva-Cambrin performed a delicate minimally-invasive procedure, through a tiny opening in Moriah’s skull, creating a new pathway for excess fluid to drain and be naturally absorbed by her body. He also cauterized a small portion of tissue that produces this fluid to prevent further buildup. The procedure immediately relieved pressure on her brain.

Dr. Riva-Cambrin is also a co-principal investigator on a first-of-its-kind North American study led by teams at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute to determine the best surgical treatment for babies with hydrocephalus.

The study looks at these procedures and their long-term effects on a child’s milestones and quality of life, aiming to make sure kids are getting the very best care. The study wraps in September and results are expected in early 2027. These findings have the potential to transform care for babies with hydrocephalus in Alberta and children’s hospitals across Canada and beyond.

In the years since her surgery, Moriah has grown into a sweet, clever and healthy nine-year-old, who only needs to visit the Alberta Children’s Hospital once a year for routine follow-up. She’s reading at an advanced level, likes riding bikes, playing piano and loves spending time with her family.

“We will always be thankful this surgery was available to us,” says Willena.