Resilience in the Face of Pain: Lucy’s Story
Born into a family of six children in Sierra Leone, 14-year-old Lucy loves science and wants to be a medical doctor. According to her mother, Isatu, “Lucy loves school. Even when she is not in school, she loves to study. After school, she eats and then goes and studies and does homework.”
At home, she is a joy to her family.
"Lucy is very helpful at home… she helps with things like sweeping and sometimes cooking,” shared Isatu. "She is a very helpful girl,” echoed her class teacher, Aminata. “If she met you in the stream doing your washing, she would help. She lives down the village, but whenever she comes up and meets someone cooking, she will help the person with the cooking.”
Her kind heart and helpful disposition are beloved by all around her, making it easy to imagine Lucy thriving in her dream of becoming a doctor.
But in recent years, Lucy has faced an obstacle that threatened her future dreams—and even her life.
From Toothache to Tumour
The condition started as a severe pain in one of Lucy's teeth. The aching tooth eventually fell out, but the pain remained.
“It began to swell. I got her local herbs, but that did not help," said Isatu. The swelling continued to grow, eventually becoming a bone tumor on Lucy's right cheek, likely caused by infection. Going to the hospital may have helped, but her family could not afford it: “We never went to the hospital. We did not have the money to go,” shared Isatu.
A facial tumour is impossible to hide or ignore and can eventually cause life-altering physical damage. Within just a few years, the effects had already taken root.
Dr. Didier-David Malis, an oral maxillofacial surgeon who would eventually operate on Lucy’s benign tumour, described it as "a fairly large and destructive tumour, affecting her bone and soft tissues. It is an aggressive tumor, which could change her appearance from a functional and visual standpoint, impacting her relationship with others and dysfunction in terms of swallowing and speaking. Her eye also has been affected by being pushed away from the bed by the tumour."
Dr. Malis added that without surgery, the tumour would continue to grow to the point of causing airway obstructions, and ultimately, death by suffocation.
According to a publication by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Lucy’s home country of Sierra Leone faces a critical shortage of oral care service delivery as well as dental education. Amongst other factors, Lucy’s condition became worse because of a lack of proper medical care and education. Thankfully, Sierra Leone’s government is working to strengthen its surgical and dental care system through strategic partnerships with organizations like Mercy Ships, which focuses on long-term education, training, and advocacy.
Resilience in the Face of Pain
Despite Lucy’s bright and friendly personality, she became quiet and withdrawn. The pain led to frequent absence from school, where her classmates became increasingly uncomfortable with her condition.
“Lucy is bold, but when the other children started to laugh at her, she became very quiet,” said her mother, grieved to watch Lucy’s once-bright light slowly dim.
It was around this time that Lucy’s family heard about Mercy Ships from Educaid, a nonprofit that educates and houses vulnerable students, and also runs schools like Lucy’s.
On the day of Lucy’s admission to the Global Mercy™, the Mercy Ships hospital vessel docked in Sierra Leone, Lucy and her mother arrived early. They were filled with joy.
The surgery was extensive, involving removing the mass and rebuilding the contour of her face using harvested bone from her hip.
“We have to reconstruct the bony structure and the supporting tissues and make sure that she can function fairly comfortably,” explained Dr. Malis.
Lucy’s surgery lasted 5 hours, requiring a team of 4 surgeons and scrub nurses – and it was a success!
However, her recovery wasn’t a walk in the park. She had to wear a feeding tube and was in pain in the hospital wards. But with time, Lucy started playing with other children at the hospital ward. She enjoyed making crafts like paper airplanes and bracelets. Lucy and some other patients were seen dancing during dance parties organized by volunteer nurses. According to them, “Activities like this help lift up spirits, so they can focus on something other than being at the hospital.”
Regaining Her Confidence
The constant presence of her mother, a visit from her younger sister, Sally, and the commitment of the volunteer crew helped Lucy recover as quickly as possible. The nurses noted her strong personality.
“She’s the first person that ever got me up dancing at work, because when she wanted you to do something, you did it,” shared Jeri Harper, a pediatric nurse. “She's kind to other people. She became the center of everything that went on in that ward.”
A New Beginning After Surgery
After making a full recovery and leaving the hospital ship, Lucy was welcomed home by a cheering crowd. Amazed by her transformation, her uncle couldn’t help but exclaim, “Lucy! Lucy! Is that you?”
“She has changed back to the way she used to be! She now mixes with people, makes friends, and helps others. She is extending all her good deeds now. She is so wonderful now,” noted Bangura, Lucy’s home parent.
While she has missed a lot of school, her class teacher says she is catching up quickly in her remedial classes. The school believes in the philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are,” so her classmates are quick to offer a helping hand.
In no time, Lucy regained her confidence. “I wasn’t feeling good when I had that thing on my face, because I did not like the shape of my face. I was ashamed because among my friends nobody has it, I was the only one with the big thing on my face. Now, after the surgery, I feel good,” she celebrated.
Most importantly, Lucy was excited to return to school and reclaim her future dream. “I miss school so much. My favorite subject in school is science [and mathematics]. I want to become a doctor in the future because I want to help people when they are sick.” Now healed and healthy, there’s nothing standing in Lucy’s way.
