Medical and Impact Mission Fundraiser
Sophia Shin
Join this fundraiser and help make an impact in the lives of families in need of surgical care.
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Population: 1 million
Language: Spanish
Living in Poverty: 60%
Poverty Defined: Earning less than $150 US a month
Mission Facts
Fundraising Goal:
$150,000
Volunteers:
Surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and medical support staff
Impact: The Osborne Head & Neck Foundation (OHNF) delivers life-saving and life-changing surgical care to communities in need around the globe. Through our annual Medical Mission we connect expert volunteer surgeons with those suffering in remote areas of developing nations. Past missions have included Ethiopia, India and Peru.
Fundraiser Profile
Join Me And Change Lives In Ghana
During June of 2024, I participated in the Osborne Head & Neck Foundation’s Medical Scholars Program, where I met countless surgeons, physicians, and experts across dozens of medical specialties. This program sparked my curiosity about medicine and inspired me to continue exploring the field. However, it wasn’t until my internship with the Foundation in July that I truly understood medicine not just as science, but as a deeply human practice. I witnessed the progression of patients before, during, and after surgery, gaining a deeper appreciation for the physical and emotional weight carried through each stage of care. I saw firsthand how just a few hours in the operating room could represent not only a medical procedure, but a defining moment in a patient’s life.
And most recently, as the Medical Scholars Program Coordinator, I’ve had the opportunity to share the importance of patient-centered care with a new group of inquisitive students. Through each of these roles, I’ve come to understand that at the heart of medicine is the ability to deliver life-changing and life-saving care. This is the core value that drives the Foundation, and it’s the mission we carry with us to Ghana.
Of the 33.8 million Ghanaians, there are only about 50 ENT doctors, most of whom are based in major cities. In more rural regions, access to specialized care is limited or nonexistent, leaving many patients with head and neck tumors to go untreated. Conditions that would be considered treatable in the U.S. often progress to life-threatening stages simply due to the lack of access. Because of this critical need, the Osborne Head & Neck Foundation will travel to Ghana in October to provide specialized medical care, offer surgical treatment, and support local healthcare providers.
In Ghana, I’ll be scrubbing out of the operating rooms where I first found my passion for medicine and into new ones—far from home, but rooted in the same purpose. This is more than a learning opportunity; it’s a reminder of why I chose this path: to serve, to listen, and to stand by people when it matters most. The Foundation builds bridges between communities, between healthcare systems, and between people who care. Your support plays a vital role in making my journey to Ghana possible, and I am sincerely grateful for anything that you are able to contribute.
Together we can change lives. Learn More about your impact.
I’ve committed to raising $20,000 towards Medical and Impact Missions in Ghana. With your support we can change lives.
You’re supporting communities with little to no access to medical care, and helping provide a wide array of medical services.
Your donation is…
- Providing clinical and surgical services, at no cost, to those living in extreme poverty in Ghana, Africa.
- Arranging and paying for transportation for patients living in remote villages
- Providing local language experts to eliminate language as a barrier to care
- Securing lodging for patients in the city during treatment and post op care
- Refreshing a orphanage and school with onsite community works
- Increasing access to educational opportunities for children
Fundraising
Make A Gift!
Your gift makes a major impact in the life of someone in need. By donating you are providing surgical care, shelter, food and transportation for families around Ghana who don’t have access to the critical medical attention they need. Thank you.
Ghana, Africa
Language: English and Akan
Living in Poverty: 24% of Ghanaians live below the poverty line.
Progress in Poverty Reduction:
Ghana has made significant strides in reducing poverty since the 1990s, halving the national poverty incidence from 51.7% in 1991
Poverty Defined: Earning less than $11 a day
Key barriers to healthcare access:
- More than half (53%) of Ghanaians or someone in their household experienced not having medicines or medical treatment at least once in the past year
- Geographic inaccessibility: poor road networks, and limited transport options are major obstacles
- Cost: High transportation costs and drug expenses
- Low spatial access to physicians and health facilities: Long travel distances for many to reach care.
- Inadequate distribution of health personnel: A significant disparity exists between urban and rural areas, with the majority of health personnel concentrated in urban centers.
Mission Facts
Volunteers: Surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, medical support staff, and concerned humanitarians like you.
Impact:
The Osborne Head & Neck Foundation (OHNF) provides life-saving and life-changing surgical care to communities in need around the globe.
Through annual Medical Missions we connect expert volunteer surgeons with those suffering in remote areas of developing nations. Impact Mission volunteers simultaneously work towards improving the lives of underserved children and those living in poverty in the same region.
Past missions have included Ethiopia, Belize, India, Peru, and Guatemala.
Ghana Impact Mission
Learn more about how your gift makes an impact.
Guatemala Impact Mission
Learn more about how your gift makes an impact
Donate & Change A Life
Your Gift Changes Lives
Thank you for your support!
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