At just six years old, Dorothy Anning from Ghana was diagnosed with a benign cranial tumor that began growing from the bone in her skull and eventually expanded into the socket where her right eye should have been. As the tumor grew, it changed her appearance and made her a target of fear and isolation in her community.

But in 2008, her life changed dramatically.

A doctor in Ghana reached out to Children’s Cross Connection in Atlanta, which agreed to sponsor Dorothy’s medical care and travel to the U.S. There, she underwent a complex and risky operation led by neurosurgeon Dr. Jim Robinson—who said he had never seen such an extreme case.

“You could see how deeply it had grown into her skull,” Dr. Robinson recalled in an interview with AJC.com. “Her brain was under pressure, shifting. But through it all, she had this quiet strength.”

The surgery took over 23 hours across two days and involved delicate work on both her skull and face. Because radiation wasn’t a safe option, Dr. Robinson had to remove the tumor entirely. At times, he said, he had to operate “freestyle” due to the unusual nature of the growth. He later called it his “greatest accomplishment” as a surgeon.

After removing the tumor, Dr. Robinson went on to reconstruct the missing parts of Dorothy’s skull and upper eye socket. Once she had recovered, she and her mother—named Comfort—returned home to Ghana, where Dorothy could finally walk confidently in public without being stared at or feared.

Now 21, Dorothy is studying medicine at the University of Ghana, inspired by the surgeon who gave her a second chance at life. “He’s the best doctor I’ve ever known,” she said. “He inspired me so much, I decided to become a doctor myself.”

Her mission now? To help others living with conditions like the one she faced—and to give them the same hope she once received.