Bridging borders to bring lifesaving pediatric cancer care to children in the United States and across sub-Saharan Africa. No child should fight cancer alone — no matter where they are born.
Pediatric cancer doesn't discriminate by geography. But access to treatment does. We are facing a dual crisis — one visible, one invisible — and both demand urgent action.
Of children with cancer in sub-Saharan Africa die because diagnostic tools, oncology specialists, and treatment facilities simply do not exist.
Of low-income families in the U.S. face impossible choices — paying for cancer treatment or putting food on the table.
Families have genuine financial need but lack traditional tax documentation. They fall through the cracks of grant programs.
The Pediatric Oncology Network is not a single program. It is an integrated ecosystem — screening in villages, treating in cities, and bridging continents when local care is not enough.
We train community health workers across sub-Saharan Africa to recognize early warning signs of pediatric cancer and refer children for diagnostic evaluation.
For children who screen positive, we establish telemedicine links to U.S. pediatric oncologists and partner with regional hospitals for basic diagnostics.
When a child's condition requires care beyond regional capacity, PHS facilitates their transfer to specialized U.S. hospitals — handling visas, travel, and family support.
In the United States, we provide direct financial assistance to low-income families facing non-covered treatment costs — with flexible documentation pathways.
Our network operates across three interconnected domains — each designed to catch children who would otherwise be lost to a system that wasn't built for them.
Direct family support & treatment access
Screening, diagnosis & regional treatment
International transfer & case management
Unlike traditional medical missions that fly in and fly out, the Pediatric Oncology Network builds permanent infrastructure — training local providers, equipping regional hospitals, and creating sustainable referral pathways.
Every number represents a child who lived because someone cared enough to act.
From a small village in the Republic of Congo to Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Celeste Mbama was eight years old when a rare and aggressive T-cell lymphoma began swelling his neck in Brazzaville. In the Republic of Congo, there was no pediatric oncologist. There was no path to treatment. There was only waiting.
Petronille Healthy Society refused to accept that geography should be a death sentence. We coordinated with Dr. James Taylor at Howard University and Pr. Lydie Ngolet at Brazzaville University. We secured medical visas. We arranged travel. We walked Celeste and his family through every step of an impossible journey.
"In the face of adversity, unity becomes our greatest strength. This international effort epitomizes the power of collaboration, transcending borders to bring hope and healing to a child in need."
— Duc Ntsomi, Executive Director, Petronille Healthy SocietyToday, Celeste is receiving world-class care at Children's National Hospital. His story is not an exception — it is the template. The Pediatric Oncology Network will make this outcome repeatable, scalable, and systematic.
Our work has been recognized at the highest levels of U.S. government. U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen praised Petronille Healthy Society's "unwavering dedication to advocacy, care, and essential resources" and noted our alignment with the Childhood Cancer STAR Act — landmark legislation bolstering pediatric cancer research nationwide.
We are seeking founding partners to launch the Pediatric Oncology Network. Your investment will directly fund screening, diagnosis, treatment, and the bridge that connects children to care they would never otherwise receive.
Be the founding sponsor of the Pediatric Oncology Network launch event.
Fund the expansion of screening, telemedicine infrastructure, and regional treatment capacity across sub-Saharan Africa in Year 2.
Sustained partnership funding full program operations based on patient volume.
The Pediatric Oncology Network is not just a program — it is a declaration that where a child is born will no longer determine whether they survive cancer.