We are the 2025 cohort of Western University’s Master of Health Sciences, Global Health Systems program. While collaborating with local partners in Kampala, a few of our classmates met Baaza Shadia, a bright six-year-old whose life has been upended by a massive rhabdomyosarcoma tumor pressing out of her cheek and mouth. With every passing day, she struggles to eat or drink, and her family, already on the brink, has been forced to rely on palliative care, watching in helpless anguish as her condition worsens.

Baaza's only path to recovery lies in prompt surgical intervention: carefully removing the tumor, administering safe pediatric anesthesia, and performing reconstructive surgery to restore her ability to eat, speak, and engage with the world as a child deserves. The cost of these essential procedures, along with immediate post-operative nutrition and medical follow-up, is beyond her family’s means. Without timely treatment, Baaza faces life-threatening complications from malnutrition, infection, and the tumor’s relentless growth.

A special thank‑you to Tanya Abdulmajeed, our on‑the‑ground organizer, and to our entire GHS cohort for making this possible.

Our goal is to raise 5,000 CAD, the minimum required to cover Baaza’s surgery fees, anesthesia, reconstructive care, and initial recovery support. Every dollar beyond our target will directly fund extended nutritional assistance and therapy, giving her the strength and resilience she needs during healing. Please join our cohort in standing with Baaza and her mother: your generosity will transform fear into hope and offer this young girl the chance at a fuller, healthier life.