Dr. Justina: Bringing Hope To Children in Sierra Leone
Dr. Justina Seyi-Olajide is no stranger to forging new paths. A brilliant and daring pediatric surgeon from Nigeria, she made history on the hospital ship Global Mercy™ in Sierra Leone as the first female African pediatric surgeon to volunteer with Mercy Ships.
She’s a surgeon at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, a fellow of both the West African College of Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons, and she is pursuing a fellowship and Ph.D. in Montreal.
But her Mercy Ships journey began much earlier, with a single late-night internet search.
A Seed Planted Early
Fresh out of medical school, Dr. Seyi-Olajide was “surfing the internet, looking for something different from regular practice to do," when she stumbled upon the Mercy Ships website.
"Okay, this is interesting," she thought to herself.
She even applied to volunteer, but at the time, she didn't have the experience required to serve. She remembers being delighted just to receive a reply.
More than a decade later, that seed of service sprouted again after she met Mercy Ships International Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sherif Emil at a children’s hospital in Montreal.
Answering the Call To Heal Children
Trained in Nigeria, Dr. Seyi-Olajide attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for medical school, and then trained as a surgeon at Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
“I’ve been a pediatric surgeon for 13 years now,” she shared.
Her love for children like Marion and the clear impact of pediatric surgery drew her into the specialty.
"A child comes in, and you do the surgery. The child is well. Parents are happy, everybody is happy," she explained.
Pediatric surgeons in Nigeria cover a wide range of procedures, including urology, thoracic, and soft tissue surgery. She describes this broad scope as an opportunity to “be more spread out;” a challenge that she embraces wholeheartedly.
Humanitarian Work: Challenging the Status Quo
For Dr. Seyi-Olajide, volunteering on board hospital ships with Mercy Ships is about more than medicine; it's about representation and impact.
She believes that coming from a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) isn’t a good reason to stay on the sidelines.
"I should be part of the project. I want to be part of the change that's happening," she said.
As a practicing surgeon in Nigeria, she knows firsthand the scale of need for surgical care in West Africa and the continent.
"About 40 to 45% of the population in most sub-Saharan African countries are children under 15 years," she said. She also noted that Sierra Leone has just one specialist general pediatric surgeon, "so there's a huge gap."
"I decided to volunteer with Mercy Ships because it was an opportunity to give back to people who are in need," she explained. "To participate in helping people who are less privileged and lack access to care."
Life on Board a Hospital Ship: Busy, Joyful, Impactful
As a surgeon on board the Global Mercy, each day is full. Ward rounds, surgeries, patient reviews, and evening rounds to check on children recovering and prepare for the next day fill her schedule. Dr. Seyi-Olajide describes it as uniquely busy and interesting.
But what struck her most was the spirit of the ship.
"You see people working as a team. People work willfully, joyfully, gladly, with a lovely spirit," she reflected.
She also highlights the hospital ship's exceptional surgical care: highly-skilled professionals working together to provide safe, high-quality surgery completely free of charge.
“It’s not just about treating the patient; it’s catering for the whole person. That’s what happens here,” she said.
She described the community on board as loving and closely knit
"Everybody is nice. There's a lot of love in the air and there seems to be a lot of sincerity with that.”
Dr. Seyi-Olajide encourages other surgeons, especially those from LMICs, to take the leap.
She urges others to “just go ahead and volunteer. Besides being an opportunity to give, it’s also a chance to learn, interact with people from other climates, and be part of an amazing community.”
Like Dr. Justina, you can make an unforgettable impact while experiencing growth, hope, and fulfillment.
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