Dear Family, Friends, and Kindhearted People:
I am reaching out with a heavy heart to seek your support for an emergency medical crisis. I am truly sorry to report that my dear friend and former counterpart in Liberia – Augustine S.M. Tamba – has been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver due to an unknown case of hepatitis B and a tumor in his windpipe that needs additional radiation therapy and other treatments as soon as possible.
I worked with Augustine for 1.5 years as Project Lead for The Carter Center. He is a decent family man of 42 years with two children – Agnes (12) and Augustine Jr. (7). He is dedicated to the work of the Liberia Elections Observation Network (LEON) as Head of Secretariat. I know him well and can vouch for his character and condition. He has shared his medical reports with me, and I have advised him during this difficult medical journey in India. He is receiving treatment from Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation, a renowned liver specialist at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, India.
Augustine has been severely sick for the past nine months in Monrovia, but the doctors at the local JFK Hospital were unable to pinpoint the ailment despite many tests. In desperation for answers to his medical issues, Augustine traveled to New Delhi in April 2025 for more advanced medical testing and services. The doctors there eventually identified the serious liver condition that is likely contributing to cancerous consequences. He has been undergoing treatments but needs additional services and our support to complete the prescribed therapy.
Augustine raised funds from his Liberian family, friends, and Christian congregation – The Gethsemane House of Prayer in Chicken Soup Factory – but despite their most valiant efforts, including him selling personal items, the $5,000 USD raised was not enough to cover the necessary treatments. The Government of Liberia even contributed to his cause with $10,000 USD in emergency support – based on his service as a former president of the Federation for Liberian Youth (FLY) – but those funds have been exhausted due to the high cost of treatments.
I am now sponsoring his fundraising campaign and appealing to my network of friends and colleagues in the hope of securing around $21,000 USD in additional support for Augustine’s pressing medical treatments. I know this sounds like a high amount, but this serious challenge is truly a matter of life and death. The funds are needed for radiotherapy, radiation oncology, doctor fees, hospital costs (room, dressings, drugs, etc.), and local room and board.
We apologize for having to reach out for help in this most dire time, but we do not know what else he can do to fight the disease and seek the treatments needed in India to return alive to his family and children in Liberia. We solemnly and sincerely seek any amount of support or type of help in this most desperate hour.
I kindly ask you to share this link with anyone who might be willing to help or to your social, personal, or church networks so that we can raise the needed support. I am available to talk with you to share more about his character and verify his condition. I can be reached through this fundraising platform or directly via email or chat platforms.
Thank you from the depth of my heart for your support, prayers, and blessings. We have deep faith in God and the Force in the universe that Augustine can beat this disease and continue serving Liberian society to promote a better future.
With deepest respect and sincerity…
Robert David Irish on behalf of Augustine S.M. Tamba.
5 June 2025
