Atuhaire is a 27-year-old student who lives with her parents and siblings in Uganda. She came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), seeking treatment for a lipoma on her buttocks.
Lipomas are benign, fatty tumors that grow between the skin and underlying layer of muscle. They can occur anywhere on the body, and they are generally small but can grow to greater than 10 centimeters in diameter. Lipomas can be painful if they press on nearby nerves or have numerous blood vessels. While their cause is unknown, they tend to run in families.
“The pain Atuhaire has on her buttocks cannot allow her to concentrate in class or study,” explains AMHF. “She cannot sit properly, and when it’s hot, the pain is more severe, and she even gets palpitations across the whole back. Sometimes, the lipoma oozes out some pus.”
Atuhaire’s parents barely earn enough money to provide for their family and pay school fees for Atuhaire. They cannot afford to pay for the medical care that Atuhaire needs to treat the lipoma.
For $120, Atuhaire will undergo surgery to remove the lipoma from her buttocks. Funding also covers the cost of three days of hospital care, including lab work and medicine. “After a mass excision, Atuhaire will be relieved from the pain,” says AMHF.
“I hope that after the surgery, I will be fine and able to sit well in class and concentrate,” shares Atuhaire.