"I had almost lost hope when I learned that I would have a chance for surgery. It is like a dream to me, and I can't wait to go!" says Monise, once again full of promise.
Monise is a 26-year-old young woman living in Haiti with her mother. She enjoys going to church and helping her mother cook. Monise was preparing to enter university to study business when health problems put her plans on hold.
“Monise suffers from a condition called ameloblastoma, in which a benign tumor began growing in her jaw and has now expanded to a life-threatening size,” writes our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “The mass is beginning to block her windpipe and would be fatal without immediate surgery."
HCA is requesting $1,500 to help fund the cost of transporting Monise to New York City for a surgery expected to last over twelve hours. Mount Sinai Hospital is contributing $75,000 towards the procedure. HCA explains, “One team of specialists will first remove the mass, and a second team will then reconstruct her jaw using bone material borrowed from Monise's leg. While Monise's face will always bear evidence of her surgery, the medical team should be able to completely remove the tumor and restore her to health."
Let's pitch in to help Monise gain a new lease on life!