We are three medical students at Umea University in Sweden who last year did a project in Cameroon, West Africa. There we met this 13-year old girl, Tatiana, who lives hidden away in a small rural village together with her grandmother. When 5-years old, she fell down a boiling pot and got badly burned on her face and frontal upper body. She has not recieved any medical care at all - the fact that she has survived without it is fantastic. We have decided to help her get surgery.

This is the first time we engage into doing something similar to this. It's hard finding a balance, trying to create a picture of her life without making it into a sobstory. But, the fact is that her situation is extremely difficult. She lives hidden away in a village, no longer with her mother in the city she was born. She is not allowed to go to school because she scares the other children with her appearance only. So she is quite lonely. Furthermore, her medical problems are enormous. However, she has a really strong spirit and impressed us all. That's why we want to do this.

Our goal is to raise money so she can get medical help. A plastic surgeon at the hospital of Umeå University is willing do the surgeries together with a plastic surgeon from Stockholm, Sweden, at the hospital in Umeå. Our plan is to get her to Umeå in October and she will have to stay here for at least three months.

The hospital in Umeå has agreed to take on her case, but this will cost alot of money. The basic surgery she needs will cost around 150.000 Skr. To this day we’ve managed to raise above 106.000 Skr. So, we’ve come half way, but need more help to make this happen.

If you are willing, please donate a sum. In this case there really is no amount of money that is too small. We will let you know about the progress on this website.

Petra, Axel & Helena