Yassa was born and raised just outside Gorongosa National Park, in Mozambique. She’s a bright, resilient girl and one of eight children in a loving family that survives through small-scale farming. They work hard for everything they have, but what Yassa needs now is far beyond anything they could ever afford on their own.

Yassa was born with a rare condition called a nasofrontal encephalocele. In simpler terms, this means part of her brain and surrounding tissue pushed through an opening in her skull and formed a mass on her face and nose. She has lived with this her whole life, but over the last year it has grown rapidly and has now become life-threatening.

Her condition has worsened to the point that daily life is painful and frightening. She can’t sleep through the night because of constant pain and frequent bleeding. At times, the swelling becomes so severe that her airway is partially cut off, making it difficult for her to breathe. The size and location of the encephalocele now place her at serious risk of infection, neurological damage, and other life-threatening complications if she doesn’t receive the right care soon.

This is not something that can be treated locally. Yassa needs complex craniofacial and pediatric neurosurgery in a sophisticated children’s hospital with a pediatric ICU, blood bank, imaging, and specialty support. That level of treatment isn’t available where she lives, so the surgery will need to take place in South Africa — about 1,300 kilometers from her home. It will be a major operation, followed by intensive recovery and close monitoring.

We are trying to raise $30,000 to cover the surgery, hospital care, specialist fees, required imaging and blood products, and the recovery period afterward, along with travel and logistics for Yassa and a caregiver. Every dollar will go directly toward getting her safely to surgery and through healing.

Yassa is still a child; she deserves the chance to grow up without constant suffering. She has always tried to keep up with school and daily life despite this condition, but this year her health challenges became too much and she failed school because she simply couldn’t function consistently through the pain and exhaustion. She deserves to sleep without fear, breathe freely, return to school, and live a full life.

If you’re able to give, any amount makes a real difference. And if you can’t donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is just as meaningful. The more people who see Yassa’s story, the closer we get to saving her life.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping us give Yassa the future she deserves.