Executive Board
Mariela Roe : Finance Manager
Charithra Arvind : Founder and President
Maggie Mendenhall: Marketing Manager
Kristin Janik: Social Media Manager
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
TBKidsCentral raises awareness about tuberculosis and supports children affected by TB with education, emotional support, and resources that help connect them to needed care.
Tuberculosis disproportionately affects children in high-burden countries, where poverty, limited access to healthcare, and lack of awareness can delay diagnosis and treatment. Recovery can be long and isolating, often requiring months of treatment and separation from daily routines, school, and friends.
Our founder’s experience completing treatment for latent TB inspired this work and highlighted a reality many children do not share: the ability to access timely treatment and support. TBKidsCentral works to make the TB journey less isolating through child-friendly education, community awareness, and practical support for children and families.
We believe every child affected by TB deserves knowledge, dignity, care, and hope.
Sources
Tuberculosis: Causes and How It Spreads | Tuberculosis (TB) | CDC
Tuberculosis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment (clevelandclinic.org)
Tuberculosis - A Little More Insight
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs and even other parts of the body. The bacteria responsible is called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
This disease can either be latent or active, latent meaning that the mycobacterium bacteria is within your body but no infection has taken place, and active meaning that an infection has taken place.
Typically, kids who are 5 years old or younger are most susceptible to TB. Some symptoms include coughing up blood, fever, nausea, vomiting, chills etc. Symptoms in adolescents look like long lasting cough, chest pain, swollen glands, night sweats. weight loss etc.
The countries most affected by TB includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Congo and many countries in Africa. In these countries, TB has become a top 10 global leading cause of death in kids 5 and under.
