Welcome Home Marlayna!

Marlayna Van Hoepen recently returned home to Chilliwack, British Columbia, from the Africa Mercy where she spent three months volunteering as a cook on board during our 2014-2015 field service in Madagascar.

Marlayna cooked up a storm and provided crew with the fuel they needed to help patients and keep the hospital ship running!

Marlayna now joins Chilliwack Mercy Ships alumni Nurse Nelleke Kerkchoff, Hairstylist Shanna Fortnum and Eye Care Assistant Kathryn Stock who have all dedicated months and years to bringing free healthcare to the world’s poor with Mercy Ships.

At the young age of 19, Marlayna has seen a part of the world most Canadians have not.

“My experience on the ship has changed my life, Africa will forever hold a place in my heart and I will be back” says Marlayna.

One such life-changing experience includedSambany’s story. Sambany travelled by foot for two days with the burden of a 16.46lb facial tumour to reach the Africa Mercy in hopes of receiving help, and help he did find, as surgeons were able to completely remove the tumour giving him back his life!

Sambany tells Mercy Ships crew, “I knew without surgery I would die. I knew I might die in surgery, but I already felt dead inside from the way I was treated. I chose to have the surgery.”

It took 17 blood donors made up of the ship’s crew to keep Sambany alive during the 12 hour operation, he lost all of his own blood and now runs on 100% donated blood. He has since recovered and returned home to his village where family and friends were in shock after seeing his face without the tumour he had carried for 19 years.

“Being on board and seeing Sambany’s journey and transformation was just amazing” says Van Hoepen.

During the 2014-2015 eight month field service in Madagascar, 1,267 operating room surgeries were performed!

Mercy Ships would not be able to deliver healthcare services to patients like Sambany without the help of our Canadian volunteers like Marlayna!

Other Blog Posts

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During this holiday season, we invite you to join us in this mission of compassion, faith, and renewal.
Your generosity can make a real and lasting impact.

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This Christmas season, let’s come together as a community of faith and support to bring restoration to people who have lost so much. Mercy Ships Canada is on a mission to heal and transform the lives of Children and adults in need. Your gift, rooted in faith, can make a significant difference in the lives of countless people. Your support will bring back smiles, health, and faith to children and adults who have suffered for far too long. Donate today and make this Christmas truly meaningful.

Kadidja: A Future as Bright as her Smile

At Mercy Ships Canada, we serve those who have lost hope, bringing healing and transformation. Our volunteers, inspired by their faith, work selflessly to perform surgeries that renew not only bodies but also faith and hope. This Christmas, be a part of the miracle by making a donation to Mercy Ships Canada. Your contribution will help renew faith and offer a second chance at life. Together, we can make a significant impact on those who have suffered for too long.

Aissatou Finds Healing

As we approach the holiday season, we are reminded of the immense power of faith and the importance of giving back to those in need. This Christmas, you have the opportunity to be a beacon of hope, healing and transformation for those who need it most.
Your support this Christmas will not only change lives but also reaffirm the spirit of giving and faith. Join us in spreading love, hope, and healing.
Make a donation today, and together, we can transform the lives of people who have lost so much.

Grateful Hearts-Thank you message from Darryl Anderson

Our journey continues, and we’re excited to have you by our side as we embark on new adventures of compassion and change.

Face-to-Face after Decades: Catherine and Aly Reunite on the Global Mercy

The last time Catherine Conteh saw the deeply familiar smile in front of her in Freetown, it was under dramatically different circumstances. Learn more about Aly’s act of kindness!