SURGICAL HOPE CHILDREN’S FUND (SHCF) is a nonprofit charity which was started by Dr. Safwat Andrawes and his late wife, Dr. Somaya, to help children in Kenya receive life-saving surgical procedures.
It is a sad reality that many children living in developing countries do not receive the medical care they need as a result of widespread poverty. SHCF was formed to extend hope to these children by providing surgical intervention to those who required but could not afford it.
How do we choose who receives care?
In the face of overwhelming medical needs, SHCF works hard to ensure that care is provided to children who present with the most urgent cases and to the children of families with the greatest financial constraints.
Our criteria for accepting new cases include:
- Referral by a trusted third party who is aware of the family’s financial need, forexample another doctor, an orphan home, a social worker or a religious worker.
- SHCF volunteers then interview parents to determine the child’s family history andfamily situation.
- The interview also helps SHCF determine whether the child is in need of full or partialsponsorship based on the family’s financial circumstances.
What is considered an ‘urgent’ surgical need?
SHCF gives the highest consideration to children with emergencies or with acute cases. SHCF also considers children with cancer as a top priority. Oftentimes surgical care will not only halt the spread of cancer, but early intervention will save the child’s life. SHCF will then prioritize children with birth defects and cases of children who have required surgical care for a long time but have not been able to receive it because of a lack of finances.
Below are two examples of the fund’s beneficiary
5 year old Richo Before Surgery for KidneyTumor
Richo after surgery, with hospital staff and happy mother
Richo, 3 years later
4 Day old David with a growth in the head
David, 3 months after surgery
Isabella With kidney tumor
Isabella with mum after surgery