Bridgette's Story: 17 Years of Waiting for Life-Changing Surgery

Michael Ryer • May 13, 2026

A poster for amigos mission in motion shows a girl holding a cup

For seventeen years, Bridgette has carried a burden no child should ever bear.

What started as a small red spot on her face when she was just a baby grew into a massive vascular tumor that doctors across Uganda refused to operate on. Too risky, they said. The tumor could bleed too much. She might not survive. Come back when she's older. Come back when it's smaller. Come back, come back, come back.

Bridgette and her mother, Rose, heard "no" for seventeen years.

But today, something has finally changed. Bridgette is now on medication that is actively shrinking her tumor. Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, Amigos Internacionales' Director of Medical Services and founder of Doctors on Mission, is monitoring her progress. When the tumor reaches an operable size, he will refer her to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for the vascular surgery that could change her life.

There's just one problem: surgery can only happen if the funding is already in place.

If we don't raise $12,000 before Bridgette's tumor is ready for surgery, she will have to wait again. And after seventeen years of waiting, we cannot let that happen.

How It Started — A Small Red Spot

Bridgette's tumor appeared when she was an infant — a tiny red mark on her face that Rose thought might fade with time. It didn't. It grew slowly at first, then faster. Doctor after doctor examined her and gave the same answer: the surgery is too dangerous. The tumor is vascular, meaning it's fed by a dense network of blood vessels. Operating on it carries a high risk of uncontrolled bleeding.

So Rose did the only thing she could do. She kept seeking help. She kept asking. She kept hoping that somewhere, someone would say yes. Bridgette grew up with the tumor. She went to school. She worked hard. She carried a burden that no child should have to bear, and she did it with quiet courage.

Her mother, Rose, is the family's sole source of income, facing her own severe medical challenges while never stopping her search for help for her daughter.

Despite limited resources and overwhelming responsibility, Rose never stopped seeking healing for Bridgette. She never stopped believing it was possible.

The Years of "No" — Why Doctors Refused Surgery

Vascular tumors are complex. Unlike other growths, they are filled with blood vessels that make surgical removal extremely risky. According to medical literature on vascular anomalies, these tumors require specialized surgical expertise and careful pre-operative planning to minimize the risk of life-threatening hemorrhage during removal.

In Uganda, where healthcare resources are limited and specialized surgical care is concentrated in only a few hospitals, many doctors understandably hesitate to take on high-risk vascular cases. For years, Bridgette was caught in that gap — her case too complex for most facilities, but not immediately life-threatening enough to prioritize in overwhelmed surgical wards.

Every consultation ended the same way. "We can't operate. It's too risky. Come back later."

Later became years. Years became seventeen.

The Breakthrough — Medication That Changes Everything

After years of "no," Bridgette finally has a path forward.

Amigos doctors are now treating Bridgette with medication specifically designed to shrink vascular tumors to a size that surgeons can safely operate on. This is not a setback. It is a step forward. The medication is working. The tumor is shrinking.

Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, who serves as both Amigos Internacionales' Director of Medical Services and the founder of Doctors on Mission, is personally overseeing Bridgette's care. Dr. Paul has been conducting pediatric surgical camps in Arua — Bridgette's home region in northern Uganda — for years. He knows her case. He knows her family. And he knows exactly what needs to happen next.

When the tumor reaches an operable size, Dr. Paul will refer Bridgette to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, where vascular specialists will perform the complex surgery she needs.

But here's the critical part: the surgery can only happen if the funding is already in place.

If the tumor shrinks to the right size and we don't have $12,000 ready, Bridgette will go back to waiting. The medical window could close. The tumor could grow again. After seventeen years, we cannot let that happen.

What Happens Next —

Mulago Hospital and the Surgery Timeline

Mulago National Referral Hospital is Uganda's largest public hospital and the primary teaching hospital for Makerere University College of Health Sciences. It is one of the few facilities in the country equipped to handle complex vascular surgeries.

When Dr. Paul clears Bridgette for surgery, she will be referred to Mulago's vascular surgery team. The procedure will involve carefully removing the tumor while managing the blood vessel network that feeds it — a delicate operation that requires specialized surgical expertise, anesthesia support, and post-operative monitoring.

The timeline depends entirely on how quickly the medication shrinks the tumor. It could be weeks. It could be months. We don't know exactly when Bridgette will be ready — but we do know that when that moment comes, we need to be ready with the funding.

This is why we're raising money now, before surgery is scheduled. We need to have $12,000 in hand the moment Dr. Paul says, "She's ready."

The Cost — What $12,000 Actually Covers

Here's the breakdown of what your donation funds:

$25 — Provides one week of tumor-shrinking medication
$100 — Covers a hospital visit and specialist consultation
$500 — Funds pre-surgical imaging and lab work
$1,000 — Sponsors a full day of surgical care
$2,000 — Pays for her complete medication course
$10,000 — Funds her complete vascular surgery

The full $12,000 covers everything: medication, pre-surgical preparation, the surgery itself, post-operative care, and follow-up visits. It's the complete path from "tumor too large to operate" to "Bridgette is healed."

Every dollar you give moves Bridgette closer to that moment.

Help fund Bridgette's surgery →

Our Work in Arua — Why Bridgette's Story Matters

Bridgette's case is not an isolated fundraising appeal. It's part of Amigos Internacionales' long-term commitment to surgical care in northern Uganda.

Dr. Paul Mulyamboga leads pediatric surgical camps in Arua through Doctors on Mission, providing life-changing surgeries to children in Bridgette's region who would otherwise have no access to specialized care. These camps treat cleft lips, hernias, burn contractures, and other conditions that Ugandan families cannot afford to address on their own.

Bridgette is from Arua. Dr. Paul knows her community. He understands the healthcare gaps that families like Rose and Bridgette face every day. And because Amigos has been working in northern Uganda for years, we have the medical relationships, the local knowledge, and the trusted presence needed to see Bridgette's case through from start to finish.

This is not a one-time story. This is what Amigos does — we provide medical care to people the system has left behind. Bridgette's surgery is part of that mission.

Rose's Strength — A Mother Who Never Gave Up

Behind every medical case is a family. Behind Bridgette's seventeen-year wait is Rose — a mother who never stopped fighting for her daughter.

Rose is the family's sole source of income. She faces her own severe medical challenges. Despite limited resources and overwhelming responsibility, she has never stopped seeking help for Bridgette. She has never stopped believing that healing is possible.

Seventeen years of hearing "no" would break most people. Rose kept going.

When Amigos doctors told Rose that Bridgette could finally be treated, she cried. Not because the wait was over — because the wait might finally have an end in sight. But only if the funding comes through.

Rose has carried this burden for seventeen years. She should not have to carry it alone.

How You Can Help Bridgette Get Surgery Now

Bridgette is on medication that is actively shrinking her tumor. Dr. Paul Mulyamboga is monitoring her progress. Mulago Hospital is ready to perform the surgery when the time comes.

The only missing piece is the funding.

We need $12,000 ready before Bridgette is cleared for surgery. If the tumor shrinks and the money isn't there, she goes back to waiting. After seventeen years, we cannot let that happen.

You can help in three ways:

Donate now — Every dollar funds medication, surgery, and post-operative care. Give here.
Share Bridgette's story — Forward this post to someone who cares about global health, medical missions, or simply doing good in the world.
Follow her progress — We'll update our blog and medical missions page as Bridgette moves closer to surgery.

This is not a theoretical need. This is a real girl, a real mother, and a real surgery that will happen the moment we have the funding in place.

Help Bridgette get the surgery she's been waiting 17 years for →