Archive

Rouel saw the #AfricaMercy for the first time from behind a scarf. He wore it to hide the hole on his face left by noma, a bacterial infection that attacks facial tissue. The evening before his surgery, Rouel spoke with Anesthesia Assistant, Stacey Such, and during their conversation, he finally removed the scarf. Even before […]

Rouel saw the #AfricaMercy for the first time from behind a scarf. He wore it to hide the hole on his face left by noma, a bacterial infection that attacks facial tissue. The evening before his surgery, Rouel spoke with Anesthesia Assistant, Stacey Such, and during their conversation, he finally removed the scarf. Even before […]

Patient Update: Ebenezer

For those of you who do not know Ebenezer, he was one of our first patients in the Congo! Ebenezer is from Nigeria and was unable to afford medical care in his home country.  He searched the internet for a way to get help to remove his tumor and found Mercy Ships on line. He […]

What! You’re Going to the Congo?

Over the months since we announced our next field service would be in the Congo, we have had a bit of concern over the safety of volunteering there. But it’s okay! This is just a bit of geographical confusion. To put those minds at ease, our team has put together a video describing the differences […]

The Floating Blood blank that “Takes All Types”

[:en] Millions of people around the world owe their lives to individuals they will never meet — people who donate their blood to help others. But volunteer crew members onboard the world’s largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, work just minutes away from the patients who receive their “gift of life” every day in […]

3 Questions to Ask About Obstetric Fistula (And 1 Thing You Can Do About It).

[:en] Today is the International Awareness Day to End Obstetric Fistula, let’s take a minute to learn about this condition, the survivors who are living with it and what you can do to help. 1.       What is Obstetric Fistula? It’s the most heartbreaking condition you’ve never heard of. Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth-related injury, usually the result of […]

Healing The Hurt: Pierre’s Story

[:en] “What happened to me, mommy?” Pierre would ask, “When are you going to fix my legs?” Unsure how to answer her four-year-old son, Edwige made a promise that she would do everything she could to find healing for Pierre’s twisted legs. When she first noticed Pierre’s legs were growing differently than the other children, […]

Breaking Barriers: Bernard’s Story

[:en] Despite his work ethic, intelligence, and passion for education, 19-year-old Bernard faced a future where he would not be merited by his hard-earned qualifications nor his determination to succeed. Instead, he would be judged by the genetic neurofibromatosis that had disfigured his face for over a decade. When Bernard was four years old, his […]

The Transformation After the Scars: Leon’s Story

[:en] It was a normal afternoon for 42-year-old Leon as he caught a lift on the back of a friend’s motorcycle. Racing through frenzied traffic, the driver swerved to avoid oncoming vehicles as they made their way across the city. Suddenly, they lost control and Leon was thrown from the bike. Given the extent of […]

A Three-Month-Old Fighter: Part One

[:en] The first sight of 3-month-old Paul revealed a feather-light bundle cradled in his desperate mother’s arms. His skin was paper-thin and his body remarkably tiny. He weighed just over 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) – less than he had when he was first born. The tiny baby was born with a cleft lip and palate […]