A 67-year-old mother of five, Nyamisozi lives in the mountains of Uganda with her large family. “She gets money from selling coffee beans that she picks from a few coffee trees that her late husband left behind,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us.
Ten years ago, Nyamisozi first felt a lump behind her lower left jaw. Since developing the mass, it has continued to grow in size and causes her pain when she sleeps. Though not highly painful all of the time, it causes her discomfort in her day-to-day life, making it difficult to work.
Even though the mass is not currently cancerous, if left in her jaw it could become malignant over time. The mass would continue to grow if not treated, and could potentially disfigure Nyamisozi or compress her major airways.
$200 will cover the cost of surgery to remove the mass, eliminating the risk of it compressing her airways or becoming cancerous.
After surgery, Nyamisozi will be able to go about her life without having to worry or feel discomfort while sleeping. “She hopes to increase the number of coffee trees so that she can be able to get more income,” AMHF reports on her plans for after treatment.