In September 2023, my friend Dzidzo Dei-Tutu had a routine scan that disclosed a very large tumor on the frontal right lobe of his brain. He underwent surgery, one which put his family and friends on pins and needles. Dzidzo was wheeled in to the OR at 1 PM and didn’t come out of surgery till 2:30 AM. On his path to recovery, he endured five months of partial eyesight thus having no ability to drive or perform mundane functions. Dzidzo is still suffering from excessive insomnia and the toll on his family life is indescribable. Though this experience is traumatic for him and his young family, Dzidzo realizes that he is blessed to have the best medical care at the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas where he lives. Through his research, he has discovered that there is a gaping need for brain tumor care in his home country, Ghana. In his efforts to close this gap, Dzidzo has created a foundation called the Ghana Brain Tumor Foundation (“GBTF.”) GBTF is a registered 501(c) (3) charitable organization in the United States.

Statistics show that in the United States, the ratio of brain surgeon to population is 1:86000. In Ghana, it is 1:1.3 million. Ghana has a population of approximately 35 million people; yet there are only 26 neurosurgeons and woefully inadequate medical facilities. Dzidzo’s aunt and cousin both died from brain tumors and may have had different outcomes if all the necessary resources to provide good care were accessible to them.

He is resolute in changing the status quo and I fully support him. Though much more is needed to meet the foundation’s goals, for the first year GBTF aims to raise a minimum of $10,000 via GoFundMe in combination with other fundraisers to do the following:

- Purchase a neurological operating microscope

- Provide financial support for the treatment of brain tumor patients

- Provide counseling and rehabilitation services for recovering brain tumor patients

- Collaborate with health providers for treatment and research

- Promote advocacy and awareness through outreach programs

Please help save a brain and a life by donating to this fundraiser in support of GBFT’s efforts. No amount is too small. May God bless you as you give.

For more information on the work that GBTF is doing, please visit its website at www.ghbtf.org