Five-year-old Beatrice arrived at the Clinic in visible discomfort. Covered in a bright red kanga, she shuffled down the clinic hallway like a much older and frailer person. When FAME doctors removed the kanga and examined her, she was covered from head to toe with scaly, bleeding, infected scabs. Her body exuded a strong odor from a severe skin infection. The original skin condition was likely caused by an allergic reaction to medicine of some type.

Before arriving at FAME Medical, she had been languishing in a village with her mother for over six months. Frustrated and overwhelmed by her ongoing problem, her mother left her in the care of two incredibly loving grandmothers who knew about the Clinic and brought Beatrice in to see our team. On the day she arrived, we happened to have two Nurses volunteering with us. Erica and Janet proceeded to soak little Beatrice in a warm tub. The doctor then sedated her and the nurses gently and painstakingly scrubbed, debrided and sanitized every inch of her body, later coating her skin with Vaseline and olive oil. She was sent home on medication and told to return the next day for the same treatment.

By the third visit she showed marked improvement over most of her body, and as you see in this photo, was able to smile again. “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.” This quote came to mind as I watched this story unfold. Two very special grandmothers, two amazingly compassionate nurses, and an accessible and well-equipped medical facility converging in the African bush to make a profound difference in a child’s life.

Africa Dream Safaris is proud to be a major sponsor of FAME and Dr. Frank Artress since 2008 and was honored with the Tanzanian Humanitarian Award specifically because of our work with FAME. Our ongoing monthly donations help FAME fund their mobile medical clinic bringing medical care to children living in remote areas. Many medical conditions can be treated correctly with proper healthcare including respiratory infections, waterborne diseases and diabetes. We suspect many children with juvenile diabetes simply die in rural Tanzania due to limited access and resources.

You may be asking yourself “How can I help?” The good news is that it doesn’t take much to make a real positive impact. Please consider a $50 donation to help Dr. Frank and Susan meet operational expenses for their Mobile Medical Service, purchasing laboratory equipment to provide more comprehensive diagnostic services, and completing the next phase of the medical project which involves expanding the existing Outpatient Clinic into a small hospital. The facility will include 12 inpatient beds and a major and minor Operating Room.

Africa Dream Safaris will match dollar for dollar any $50 donation thus turning your contribution into $100, which has real significant purchasing power in Tanzania. Please click here to contribute to FAME and to learn more about the organization. Make sure to enter ‘Africa Dream Safaris’ in the designation field to ensure that your $50 donation is matched correctly.