FAME Medical Clinic in Tanzania

Patience and her husband, Holland, traveled to Tanzania, Africa for a “photo safari” to celebrate 35 years of marriage. Their trip, which included 6 days in the Serengeti National Park and 2 days in the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, was truly inspirational and life-changing for the couple.

On the final day of their trip, Patience and Holland were invited to tour a medical clinic operated by the Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME). The clinic was founded nearly 10 years ago by Dr. Frank Artress and his wife, Susan Gustafson, originally from Modesto, CA.

Celebrating his 50th birthday, Dr. Artress was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2002 when he developed life-threatening pulmonary edema. As Artress recovered he received an earful from the western-trained doctor who treated him. “We need doctors here much more than you need them in California, so why don’t you come here,” said the doctor. With that, Artress and his family quickly decided to sell everything they owned in California and relocated to Tanzania. They never looked back!

Today FAME has grown into a truly remarkable asset, located in Karatu, Tanzania. At the clinic they served almost 8,000 patients in 2011. They have a mobile medical facility that travels out in the bush and treated nearly 2,000 patients in remote towns and villages. The vast majority of patients treated are people suffering from acute respiratory infections, waterborne diseases, urinary tract infections and STD’s. In 2012 they expect to open a small permanent hospital.

Pictured here (l to r) are Pamela McClendon, FAME’s Volunteer Coordinator, Caroline Epe, Director of Development, and Patience.

It was an unforgettable visit and these people are doing amazing things!

For more information on FAME go to click here.