Leadership, Compassion and Action:
How Canadian Pharmacists Are Advancing Global Health
What motivates a healthcare professional to leave behind their daily routine, family, or career to serve aboard a hospital ship in Africa?
For Canadian pharmacists Sandy Hewitt, Danica Massey, and Wing-Hing Yung, the answer lies at the intersection of volunteer service, leadership, and a desire to use their expertise to help people who lack access to essential surgical care. All three have served with Mercy Ships, the international humanitarian organization which provides free surgeries and healthcare services on its hospital ships, in some of Africa’s most underserved countries.
Although their journeys are different, together they illustrate the many ways healthcare professionals can contribute to global health through humanitarian service.
Three Canadian Women, Three Paths to Service
Sandy Hewitt’s commitment has become a long-term mission. After nearly four decades of practicing pharmacy in Canada, she and her husband decided to dedicate their expertise to Mercy Ships. What was initially intended as a volunteer experience evolved into an entirely new career. Today, working with Mercy Ships International, she oversees pharmaceutical operations for the organization’s two hospital ships, coordinating recruitment, training, clinical procedures, and international supply planning.
Danica Massey represents a new generation of leaders who have chosen to redirect their careers toward humanitarian work. A hospital pharmacist in British Columbia, she discovered Mercy Ships while searching for a new professional challenge. A first assignment lasting only a few weeks—cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic—was enough to confirm her desire to serve. A few years later, she returned for a three-month assignment. Feeling called to make a longer commitment, she left her position at BC Cancer to accept a two-year appointment as Chief Pharmacist aboard the Global Mercy™, one of Mercy Ships’ two hospital ships.
Wing-Hing Yung’s journey demonstrates that humanitarian service does not have to be long-term—or permanent—to make a meaningful impact. As a community pharmacist, she volunteers for three-month missions whenever family and personal commitments allow. Despite the responsibilities of maintaining a home, caring for pets, and fulfilling local obligations, she continues to return whenever the opportunity arises.
These three very different journeys demonstrate that there is no single model of volunteer service. Some choose long-term leadership roles, others commit to extended professional service, while others contribute their expertise through shorter but recurring assignments.
Leaders in Service of Others
Although the three women hold different roles, they share the same vision of leadership.
For them, leadership is about much more than managing teams or overseeing complex operations. Above all, it means creating the conditions that enable others to succeed and ensuring that patients receive the care they need.
Sandy leads teams across two hospital ships, ensuring that medications, procedures, and training are in place before patients even walk through the hospital doors. Much of her leadership happens behind the scenes through strategic planning and team support.
As Chief Pharmacist, Danica coordinates the day-to-day operations of the pharmacy department. She mentors new volunteers during their onboarding process, manages medication inventories, participates in multidisciplinary meetings, and helps resolve complex clinical situations. Her role demands constant adaptability and sound decision-making in an environment where resources are often limited.
Wing-Hing embodies another form of leadership—one built on influence and collaboration. Working alongside healthcare professionals from dozens of countries, she helps foster an environment where everyone can learn from one another. For her, the true strength of Mercy Ships lies in this diversity of experiences and perspectives, all united by a common mission.
When Global Health Becomes Reality
In Canada, most healthcare professionals rarely encounter certain medical conditions at such advanced stages.
Aboard Mercy Ships’ hospital ships, the three pharmacists have witnessed medical realities that underscore the critical importance of access to healthcare. Massive tumors, giant hernias, severe orthopedic deformities, and untreated obstetric complications that have persisted for years are all part of the medical teams’ daily work.
For Danica and Sandy, these situations require exceptional professionalism. Supply chains are lengthy, shipping medications to Africa can be challenging, medicines must often be ordered months in advance, and volunteers come from healthcare systems with very different practices and standards.
Yet these challenges also create extraordinary opportunities for learning.
Working alongside surgeons, nurses, physicians, and pharmacists from more than 70 countries encourages volunteers to question their usual approaches, strengthen their adaptability, and broaden their understanding of professional practice.
This global health experience transforms not only the patients—it transforms the volunteers themselves.
Volunteer Service as a Force for Change
All three pharmacists speak emotionally about the moments that give meaning to their commitment.
For Sandy, it is the joy of a patient regaining sight after years of blindness, or a woman finally returning with dignity to her community after receiving life-changing treatment for an obstetric fistula.
For Danica, it is visiting patients receiving palliative care in their homes and being able to provide comfort, dignity, and compassionate support even when surgery is no longer an option.
For Wing-Hing, it is witnessing patients see their new faces in a mirror for the first time after reconstructive surgery, or attending the joyful “Celebration of Sight” event where patients share how they can finally see their grandchildren for the very first time.
These experiences remind us that volunteer healthcare extends far beyond technical expertise. It is a deeply human encounter that restores hope, independence, and dignity.
An Invitation to Serve
The journeys of Sandy Hewitt, Danica Massey, and Wing-Hing Yung demonstrate the many ways Canadians contribute to global health.
Whether through strategic leadership, long-term professional service, or shorter volunteer assignments, each shows that it is possible to use one’s expertise in service of something greater than oneself.
Their stories also highlight the essential role of women in today’s humanitarian leadership. They lead international teams, make complex decisions, mentor the next generation of professionals, and help expand access to healthcare for thousands of patients.
In a world where health inequities remain profound, their commitment reminds us that a career in healthcare can have an impact far beyond the walls of a hospital or pharmacy. And sometimes, just a few months of service can change a life—not only for the patients, but also for those who choose to serve.