Cure 250 Children with Burkitt Lymphoma in Africa

Robinah was 11 years old when she came to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu, Uganda. She came to the hospital in April of 2019 and was accompanied by her 16 year old brother. They had lost both of their parents. Their uncle, who provides for them, is a subsistence farmer and could not take the time away from work to bring her to the hospital. Therefore, Robinah and her brother had to make the hazardous journey from their village to St Mary’s alone. Their journey took a very long time because good roads were not easily accessible and transportation services were unreliable.     

Robinah had an approximately one-year history of jaw swelling. Because it was painless, the family did not seek health care. About four months prior to admission, she developed abdominal swelling which progressively worsened. Not long after her abdomen swelled, she developed swelling of her lower limbs and started to have difficulty in breathing. It was then that the family began to mobilize the funds necessary to pay for her transportation to St Mary’s.

Upon admission to the hospital, she had very advanced disease. Not only did she have facial swelling, but she also had wide-spread disease throughout her abdomen. Fluid surrounded both her heart and lungs. A biopsy was performed that confirmed the suspected diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma. She was promptly started on treatment and rapidly improved. She was able to breathe more easily and her facial swelling became smaller. The staff could see how happy she was. Her brother, who never left her side, was visibly relieved.

After the second cycle of therapy, Robinah was doing so well that she asked if she could go back home so that her brother could continue school. Because the team at St Mary’s was unsure that she would be able to return to complete all six cycles of planned chemotherapy, they called her uncle to obtain his permission to let Robinah stay at the hospital’s family home and informed him that her best chance for a long-term cure was to complete all planned treatment without unnecessary interruptions related to long-distance travel. Her uncle was assured that she would be well taken care of and he agreed to let her stay at the family home during the remainder of her therapy. Her brother then returned home to go back to school.     

The family home was vital to Robinah’s successful outcome. While staying there, she found a second family that supported her. She was excited to have the opportunity to continue with her own education through the school based at the family home. This was important to her because she had missed school for nearly a year prior to her admission to the hospital.   She completed all treatment and presently has no evidence of Burkitt lymphoma.

With your generous contributions to this project, children who are very poor and need support to cover the costs of treatment, including food and accommodation, can be helped. Your donations ensure that a young child with Burkitt lymphoma has the best chance for cure. Thank you again for your support!

After experiencing a week-long history of a rapidly growing mass in the right side of his face, Guido’s parents brought their five-year old son to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu, Uganda.

Upon admission to St Mary’s, Guido’s face appeared deformed due to a very large mass on the right side of his face that extended from his upper to lower jaw. He was in pain and had great difficulty in swallowing such that he could barely drink, let alone eat. Inside of his mouth, his teeth were loose and displaced. Given the classical features of the mass and its very rapid growth, the doctors suspected that he had Burkitt lymphoma. Guido underwent a biopsy of the mass and had other tests performed. The biopsy confirmed that he had Burkitt lymphoma. Fortunately, the tumor had not spread to other parts of his body.

Guido was started on chemotherapy as soon as possible and after two cycles of therapy, he no longer had any visible signs of his jaw mass and his face was normal in appearance. He has continued with therapy. This has been a challenge for his parents. They are subsistence farmers and have seven other children to care for at home which is a very long distance from St Mary’s. His mother has remained with Guido throughout treatment, including the times when he is in-between treatment cycles. Although, Guido’s tumor visibly disappeared very rapidly, his parents understood that their son must complete all planned treatment (a total of six cycles of chemotherapy) to ensure that he has the best possible chance of achieving a long-term cure.

Guido and his mother were able to stay at the hospital’s Rainbow Family Home. At the home, he has been helped to overcome his initial sadness and shyness which were largely due to the disfigurement of his face caused by the tumor. Now, that his mass is gone, he is a much happier little boy. He participates in social activities with other children and enjoys attending the Rainbow Family Home School.

A rapidly growing jaw mass in a five-year old who lives in equatorial Africa is a very classical presentation of Burkitt lymphoma. A major factor in whether or not a child survives this highly curable cancer is access to a hospital capable of diagnosing and treating them. Parents dependent upon seasonal farming work and with other children to care for at home find it financially very difficult to pay for treatment and for other expenses associated with being away from home for prolonged periods of time.     

Your generous donations to this project help us to provide not only the necessary treatment, but also other types of support that children with Burkitt lymphoma and their families need. Thank you!