Meet Boi

Our story started with one courageous little boy, Molobalitié “Boi” Doumbia, now a strong and courageous young man. The video below Boi Face of Bravery tells how a chance encounter changed the lives of this extraordinary boy and the hundreds of people he met and touched along his journey.  It is a story of courage, compassion, and the impact that one life can have on so many.

The story begins in Mali, in the village of Dagabo.  When Boi was four a small lump on his cheek began to grow.  Over the next few years the non-cancerous tumor continued to grow exponentially, dislocating his jaw and altering the bones of his face. Boi’s parents spent what little money they had in search of medical treatment for their son, but no help could be found in Mali.

While Boi lived his life as if he were just an ordinary, happy little boy, his parents knew that soon he would no longer be able to eat or breathe. His family and his community began to give up. And then they heard that doctors from America were in a village nearby. Boi’s uncle put him on the back of a motorcycle, and together they rode towards hope.

We are immeasurably grateful for the Village that came together to help Boi through his journey: Boi’s family in Dagabo, his US family in Kansas City, and countless friends many places in between. Most importantly, we are forever thankful to the incredibly talented team of medical professionals from the University of Kansas Medical Center that brilliantly collaborated in the operating room that fateful April day in 2008, and who to this day are Villagers who continue to provide ongoing medical care for Boi.

A ni ce kosebe – We thank you very much!

*  Special thanks to First Hand Foundation who has been part of Boi’s story from the beginning, plus credit for the great photo at left.