Dikembe Mutombo Flies 8-Year-Old Boy to USA and Pays for Surgery on Facial Tumor
Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo lent a helping hand Wednesday to a young African boy in need of surgery.
According to Veronica Miracle of KABC, Mutombo met eight-year-old Matadi from Congo at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday prior to taking him to the Osborne Head and Neck Foundation to undergo surgery to remove a large tumor from the side of his face.
TMZ Sports posted video of Mutombo commenting on the situation and Matadi's arrival at LAX:
Mutombo noted, "[It's] very difficult as a father to see a child who is eight years old who is born like all of us but has not gotten opportunities."
Per Miracle, Mutombo built a hospital in his home country of Congo, which is where Matadi underwent surgery to repair a cleft lip.
He needed specialists to remove the tumor, however, which is why Mutombo flew him to L.A. and paid for his treatment.
In addition to the surgery, Matadi and his father will get to stay at the Ronald McDonald house while recovering.
Mutombo added that he hoped the surgery would "change the life of this young man and [help him] go back to living a normal life."
