From Hiding Her Face to Smiling Again

Four years ago, Judith began to notice swelling in her jaw.

At first it seemed small—something easy to ignore. But over time the swelling slowly grew larger and larger.

In places with access to dental imaging and surgical care, a tumor like this would usually be treated early. But in parts of eastern Congo, where access to specialized care is extremely limited, it continued growing unchecked.

Eventually, the mass on Judith’s face became the size of a softball.

Judith before surgery.

Dr. Niles discussing the surgical plan with patients who had traveled from Congo, alongside Dr. Mark, who was visiting Kapsowar from Kijabe on a surgical rotation.

Doctors later diagnosed Judith with an ameloblastoma—a rare tumor of the jaw that, while usually benign, can grow aggressively if left untreated.

A mother of five, Judith began wearing a mask anytime she left the house. She shared that people reacted in many ways—some laughed, others were frightened. Sometimes children would cry when they saw her.

Eventually, Judith began to believe she would live the rest of her life this way.

Then someone told her about a doctor who might be able to help.

Kapsowar’s long-time surgeon, Dr. Bill Rhodes, often travels to other countries like Congo to perform surgeries, where patients hear about the help they can receive. However, cases this complex requires months of follow-up care.

Judith traveled for several days by a public bus to reach Kapsowar Mission Hospital, where our plastic surgeons—Dr. Bill Rhodes and Dr. Niles Batdorf—could treat her over several months.

Dr. Bill Rhodes and Dr. Niles Batdorf, Kapsowar’s plastic surgeons, operating together.

Her surgery was incredibly complex.

First, surgeons removed the massive tumor that had overtaken her jaw. Then they reconstructed her jaw using living bone from her fibula—the smaller bone in the lower leg—carefully shaping it to form a new jaw and connecting it to blood vessels in her neck using microsurgery.

In essence, they built Judith an entirely new jaw.

Recovery has taken time, but the transformation has been remarkable.

Judith after surgery. After months of care and recovery, she can smile again and is preparing to return home to her family.

Judith with Dr. Niles Batdorf after surgery and recovery at Kapsowar Mission Hospital.

Today, Judith can smile again. And soon she will return home to her children.

She told us they’ve seen pictures of her—but they still don’t quite believe it. They keep asking for a video call to see if it’s really true.

Stories like Judith’s are possible because people like you care about patients who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. Those who are forgotten.

Today, because of the care she received here—and the people who help make it possible—she is preparing to return home with a new jaw, a restored appearance, and a future she once thought she had lost.

Thank you for being part of the work that makes stories like hers possible.