Coleta, age 10
When a tumor first appeared on Coleta’s face, her parents repeatedly took her to Kamuzu Central Hospital, the large public referral facility in Lilongwe. Every time they went, Coleta was told to come back another time. Her surgery was certainly essential, but not an emergency, and KCH is often understaffed and under resourced, forcing them to turn away non-emergency procedures much too frequently.
Coleta’s tumor is on the right side of her face and causes extreme discomfort when completing daily activities. Coleta struggles in school and while she has a supportive family and a wonderful group of supportive friends, still faces stigma from some peers.
Then Coleta’s family attended AHA’s June 2019 surgical camp at Kabudula Community Hospital. Coleta came to that surgical camp from her rural village of Nsaru, which falls in Kabudula Community Hospital’s catchment area.
Coleta was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. Coleta’s tumor was of a size and location that would require two surgeries: the first to “debulk” the tumor, the second to reopen her eye. The good news is that Coleta’s eye is still fully functional and she is expected to regain full sight upon completion of her second surgery.
AHA donors have already stepped up & sponsored Coleta’s first debulking surgery.
Now, we need to raise $580 to pay for Coleta’s second surgery to reopen her eye:
Roundtrip transportation for Coleta and her mother including follow-up visits: $300
Updated CT scan: $200
Food during hospital stay: $50
Medication: $30
Of the support already provided by AHA, Coleta is thankful for the follow-up visits and extra time AHA staff have taken to make sure she and her family are well taken care of.
David, age 10
UPDATE: DAVID HAS BEEN SPONSORED!!
David and Coleta have very similar stories. Both are from Nsaru village, both have been diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, both were introduced to AHA during the June 2019 MediServ surgical trip, and both have undergone the first of two surgeries necessary to complete address their tumors: tumor debulking, both of which were sponsored by AHA’s amazing donor network.
David’s medical journey stretches back into his early toddler years as his family first noticed his facial tumor at just two years old. Our amazing donor network sponsored David’s tumor debulking surgery in September 2020 and a follow up visit in October 2020 (THANK YOU to those who donated!!).
Now David needs a final, minor procedure to assist his eye-lid muscles to re-open his eye. This is scheduled for November 23, 2020.
Although David’s left eye is still fully functional, he has been unable to see out of it due to obstruction from the tumor. The good news is that after this final procedure, David will have full visibility out of both eyes!
Now, we need to raise $250 by November 23 to pay for David’s final step of treatment:
Procedure (not covered by Malawi’s public healthcare system): $100
Roundtrip transportation for David and one parent including follow-up visits: $100
Food during hospital stay: $30
Medication: $20
David and his family have thanked AHA for their commitment to seeing his treatment through to the end. Despite David’s second surgery being scheduled earlier this year and canceled due to COVID-19, AHA has stuck by David and his family is incredibly supportive.
Opening this boy’s eye during these crucial years will have a lifelong impact because his future success depends on the educational foundation he can access now, which he will only experience fully after the tumor is removed. -David’s family member.