FAME Africa

FAME Africa Advancing patient-centered care in rural Africa. Patient names are changed, explicit consent granted. Dr. Artress is an American physician. Kilimanjaro.

The Foundation for African Medicine & Education is a non-profit corporation registered in the United States. It was created to improve the quality of medical care in East Africa. FAME endeavors to help bridge the gap between a critically under-resourced healthcare system and first-world medicine. FAME is currently focused on improving the quality and accessibility of medical care in Tanzania and m

aking a difference in the day-to-day lives of the Tanzanian people. He has traveled extensively and participated in medical relief projects around the globe. His wife, Susan, is trained in counseling and educational psychology and has worked for many years in school-based mental health and prevention. Frank and Susan have lived and worked in Tanzania since 2003and currently reside in Karatu, Tanzania. They coordinate and oversee the day-to-day operations of all FAME projects. Certain places on the planet can capture a person's heart and alter the direction of one's life. For us, Tanzania is such a place. At the start of the new millenium we found ourselves at a crossroads and began to experience a shift in how we wanted to spend the second half of our lives. For years, we had talked about climbing Mt. Finally in July of 2002, we began our ascent of the highest peak in Africa. At the time, we could not have known Frank would nearly die atop that mountain, nor how those critical moments would shape the rest of our lives. The perseverance, generosity, and resourcefulness of our guide and his crew awakened us to the resilience of the human spirit - that place inside each of us where grace and strength reside. After several months back in the U.S., we decided to return to Tanzania, this time to contribute back to a people whose voice is rarely heard in the rest of the world, a people who have few opportunities to share their wisdom, their strength, and their dreams with the rest of us. From this place, the Foundation for African Medicine and Education was born. Board of Directors

Frank Artress, Co-Founder & President
Susan Gustafson, Co-Founder & Vice-President
Jeanne Artress, Secretary/Treasurer
Graham Pierce, Director
Jack Paddon, Director
Nancy Paddon, Director

06/12/2026

With just 2 days to go until the FAME Marathon 2026, we are overwhelmed by the incredible support of our FAME family. Together, you have helped strengthen trauma and emergency care services at FAME Hospital and ensure that patients in rural Tanzania have access to lifesaving care when they need it most.

Thank you to everyone who has donated, fundraised and cheered on our team. Your support is making a real and lasting difference.

We are excited to share a special message from our Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors, Dr. Frank and Susan.

It's not too late to make an impact. Help us cross the finish line strong by making your gift today through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

Note: As part of our final sprint to the finish line, we're offering a very limited number of official FAME Marathon medals as special thank-you gifts for donors who give between June 12-14. A donation of more than $250 is required for this and will also enable the covering of processing fees and shipping.

06/09/2026

Recovery continues long after surgery.

After receiving emergency surgery, patients recover here under the watchful care of a dedicated team of nurses and clinicians who provide round-the-clock support.

Meet the team helping patients heal, regain strength and return to their families.

Your donation to FAME Marathon 2026 helps sustain trauma and emergency care services, ensuring patients receive the care they need from the moment they arrive until they are ready to go home.

Donate today through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

06/05/2026

Inside the operating theater, trauma care becomes life‑saving action. More than 30% of trauma patients treated at FAME require surgery, making timely access to emergency and surgical care critical.

Hear from a member of our Operating Theatre team about why strengthening trauma and emergency care is the focus of FAME Marathon 2026.

Your support equips our surgical teams with the tools and skills they need to respond to emergencies.

A gift of $30, $50 or $100 can help strengthen trauma and emergency services and save lives.

Donate today through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

06/01/2026

14 Days to Go Until the FAME Marathon 2026! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

In this video, our General Surgeon and Medical Officer in Charge shares why strengthening trauma and emergency care is this year's FAME Marathon focus. Every day, patients arrive at FAME with serious injuries and medical emergencies, relying on timely, high-quality care when they need it most.

This week, we're inviting our community to help sponsor 100 FAME staff runners as they prepare to take part in the FAME Marathon. $30 not only sponsors a runner, but also strengthens FAME's emergency and trauma services, helping ensure patients receive lifesaving care when emergencies happen.

Our goal is to sponsor 100 runners and raise $3,000 before race day.

Will you sponsor a runner today?

Donate through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

A Nail Hidden Inside a Two-Year-Old Boy“My son suddenly refused to eat,” his mother recalls. “I tried to encourage him t...
05/29/2026

A Nail Hidden Inside a Two-Year-Old Boy

“My son suddenly refused to eat,” his mother recalls. “I tried to encourage him to take porridge, but then he vomited blood.”

At first, she did not understand what was wrong. Her two-year-old son was crying, unable to swallow properly and growing weaker by the hour.

An X-ray at a nearby health facility revealed the cause: the little boy had swallowed a nail.

He was referred immediately to FAME.

By the time he arrived, the sharp metal nail had lodged dangerously deep inside his small body. Removing it would require incredible precision. In a child so young, even a small internal tear can quickly become life-threatening.

FAME’s surgical team prepared the operating theatre and carefully began the procedure.

Outside, his mother waited anxiously as doctors worked to remove the nail without causing further injury.

The surgery was successful.

For this family, access to emergency surgical care meant their son was able to return home safely instead of traveling hours farther for treatment they may not have reached in time.

Stories like this reveal how quickly a moment can become medical emergencies for young children. A swallowed nail. A severe burn. A traumatic injury during play. Families need access to emergency care close to home, especially in rural communities where advanced services are often far away.

At FAME, more than one third of the critical and urgent cases coming through the Emergency Room require surgery. Your support of the FAME Marathon through the link below helps strengthen emergency and trauma care at FAME Hospital, ensuring children and families can receive lifesaving treatment when the unexpected happens.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

Trauma Rings No BellFour months ago, Isabel was a mother like any other — someone who loves to cook and ensure her famil...
05/26/2026

Trauma Rings No Bell

Four months ago, Isabel was a mother like any other — someone who loves to cook and ensure her family is well fed. In an instant, her life changed. One afternoon while preparing lunch, hot cooking oil spilled across her face and upper body, leaving her with severe burns and constant pain.

After seeking care at several nearby facilities, she eventually came to FAME for advanced treatment. Today, our team is assessing her for possible surgeries that could help restore movement, relieve her pain and support her long road to recovery.

For Isabel, healing means more than physical recovery. It means being able to care for her family again, share meals with her children and return to daily life with dignity and hope.

Patients like Isabel are why FAME’s Trauma and Emergency Care services matter so deeply in rural Tanzania. Every day, people facing life-altering injuries arrive at FAME seeking care that is often unavailable anywhere else nearby.

As we continue our FAME Marathon fundraising campaign, your support helps strengthen lifesaving care for patients like Isabel.

Whether you give $30, $60 or $100, every contribution makes a meaningful difference.

Behind every recovery is a community that cared. Join us in strengthening trauma care for the next patient in need and donate today using the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

Stay tuned next week for a new way to get involved and support the FAME Marathon alongside our incredible team of runners.

Trauma Rings No BellJohn is a father of two. When he arrived at FAME with a broken leg after a road accident, he was ble...
05/22/2026

Trauma Rings No Bell

John is a father of two. When he arrived at FAME with a broken leg after a road accident, he was bleeding and in severe pain. Because the team was ready, he received immediate care. His injury was stabilized, and today, his recovery is progressing well. Soon, he will be able to return to work and continue providing for his family.

When trauma strikes, every second matters. Access to timely emergency care can mean the difference between recovery and something far worse. Your support makes this possible.

To sustain trauma and emergency care at FAME, every contribution matters. Donate today to help strengthen this critical service.

Your gift today becomes someone’s survival story tomorrow. Together we can save more lives!

And a status update from our Doctors vs. Nurses Challenge: Team Nurses are currently in the lead, ahead of Team Doctors by just over $500. Donate today through the link below to help Team Doctors catch up.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

Six children depend on Eric and Magdalena. Their youngest is just four years old. Behind them is an entire family that r...
05/19/2026

Six children depend on Eric and Magdalena. Their youngest is just four years old. Behind them is an entire family that relies on their health and strength.

When Magdalena was critically injured, their family’s future hung in the balance.

Because FAME was ready, she received the care she needed and survived. Today, she is back home caring for her children and rebuilding daily life.

Proper trauma and emergency care brings hope back to families. Another life saved is another future protected.

When trauma strikes, every second matters. Your generosity helps ensure our team is ready.

Today, give $5, $10, $21 or $42 in honor of the marathon distances through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

You can read the full story at the link below:
https://fameafrica.org/journal/2026-fame-marathon-a-family-restored-through-care

Every trauma story begins with fear and ends with hope because of FAME. We could not do this work without your support.H...
05/15/2026

Every trauma story begins with fear and ends with hope because of FAME. We could not do this work without your support.

Help us continue providing life-saving emergency care in rural Tanzania by donating to support FAME Marathon through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

Also, read a touching and heartfelt story of this young boy surviving a wildebeest attack through the link below:
https://fameafrica.org/journal/2026-fame-marathon-surviving-a-wildebeest-attack

“I didn’t know if I would survive.” This trauma survivor’s story is a powerful reminder of why emergency care matters. Y...
05/13/2026

“I didn’t know if I would survive.” This trauma survivor’s story is a powerful reminder of why emergency care matters. Your support helps ensure the next patient receives the same chance.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the FAME Marathon so far! Your generosity is already making a real impact in the lives of patients and families across our community.

And for those participating in the Doctors vs. Nurses Challenge, following International Nurses Day yesterday, Team Nurses have taken the lead — but the race is far from over. Donate today to help even more people receive lifesaving care through the link below:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/foundationforafricanmedicineeducation/restriction/FAME+Marathon+2026

Read the full story ‘Beyond What Eyes Can See’ through this link: https://fameafrica.org/journal/2026-fame-marathon-beyond-what-eyes-can-see

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