By Samantha Solomon
A young Southern Highlander is fighting for his life after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Samuel Somne’s medical condition is life-threatening but curable if he can afford costly specialist treatment overseas.
Samuel’s days are often disturbed by seizures, sometimes in the middle of the night, other times in the middle of his workday.
Even in the face of uncertainty, one thing remains unwavering – his will to live.
Samuel, 35, hails from Injua village, Nipa, in the Southern Highlands Province. A soft-spoken and determined young man, Samuel attended Pacific Adventist University (PAU) from 2010 to 2013 and graduated on December 1, 2013. Like many Papua New Guineans, he pursued a better future with dedication and quiet hope.
In 2021, shortly after getting married, Samuel began experiencing seizures but only during the early hours of the morning, between 2am and 3am. “I never knew they were happening,” he recalls. “I’d wake up with body and joint pain and my wife Florence would tell me I had fitted in my sleep.”
Still unaware of the underlying cause, Samuel pushed on. During 2022 and 2023, while working on with Olympus Project, the seizures began happening during the day, sometimes at the office. “I would just black out and wake up in a hospital bed. That’s when I realized I had to get a proper check-up. It hit me hard. I felt like half my life was being taken away.”
The diagnosis was devastating – a brain tumor. “At first, I felt hopeless,” he admits. “But my family stood by me, and their support gave me the strength to keep going. I placed my faith in God and believed that this tumor can be removed if I get the right medical help.”
In early January 2025, Samuel was referred by a neurosurgeon at Port Moresby General Hospital to seek treatment overseas after reviewing his MRI scans. Initially, he considered the Philippines. But after hearing the success story of another Papua New Guinean who underwent treatment in India, he became convinced that India — known for its affordable yet advanced neurosurgical care — was the right place.
“If I’m able to undergo surgery and receive treatment, it will be my greatest testimony,” Samuel says.
However, while the medical path is clear, the financial road remains uncertain.
“For months, I’ve struggled with not just the tumor, but the cost of getting overseas,” he says. “The tumor is still growing, and the seizures are becoming more frequent. Sometimes, I collapse without warning. I’m now considered high-risk.”
Samuel is not walking this journey alone. In a powerful show of unity and love, his brothers and tribesmen have rallied behind him to organise a corporate fundraising dinner scheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025. The goal is to raise the critical funds needed for his surgery in India.
“This dinner is more than an event, it’s my only hope,” he says. “With the support of my people, I believe I can make it. I believe I can live.”
Time is not on Samuel’s side. His travel has already been arranged for Thursday, July 25, 2025. “That date is fixed. We’re racing against time. If there’s a delay, it could cost me my life.”
Samuel’s plea is not just for money — it’s for a chance to live and continue being a husband, a son, a brother, and a proud Papua New Guinean.
If you would like to support Samuel’s medical fundraising campaign or attend the Corporate Fundraising Dinner, please contact:
Mr. Luke Mongolap: +(675) 70804996
Mr.Samuel Somne : +(675) 72844887
Email: samuelsomne686@gmail.com
Acct details:
Samuel Somne
Bank of South Pacific
A/C#:0000116140
