Story Archives - Mercy Ships Africa

Story

The day 6-year-old Sira returned from the Africa Mercy® in Dakar, neighbors swarmed their home to see the change.They knew she had gone away to receive surgery for her bowed legs. “Some of these people had seen her with bent legs most of her life,” Ibrahima, Sira’s father, explained. One by one they took in the sight, awed that her legs were now straight. Sira smiled shyly, letting them look. This kind of attention wasn’t new for Sira. She had been getting stares since her legs started curving outward when she was 4 years old.

Family love leads to Awa’s new smile

Story

In a rural town in southern Senegal lives 5-year-old Awa, surrounded by her loving family. She has always been close with them – especially with her Uncle Woury. Since the moment Awa was born with a cleft lip, her uncle’s greatest wish was that she would someday find healing.

Zackaria’s Hindered Sight

Story

After Zackaria was born, his mother, Binta, began seeing signs that he was suffering from cataracts — a condition that her eldest child had experienced. “I knew about Zackaria’s eyes when he was still very young, as I had the same experience with my firstborn,” Binta said. “Elimane had an operation, but his surgery was not successful. I wept when I saw that my new baby was looking and moving in the same way.”

A Miracle for Emmanuel

Story

Leocadie cried when her baby was born, and the tears didn’t stop for the next three months as the tumor grew. Leocadie also dealt with glaucoma, meaning her vision was severely impaired while she was trying to care of her new baby. It was difficult to know how to hold him with the tumor, and others had to guide him into her arms. Without money to afford surgery, she was overcome with paralyzing fear for her son’s future.

Hounsigbo: Grace to Live Again

Story

For more than three years, Hounsigbo lived in total darkness, cataracts clouding her vision in both eyes. Before, Hounsigbo had been busily working in her village in Togo, going every day to the forest to cut trees and weave mats out of their branches, selling them to earn a living. But now, the 70-year-old spent her nights and days in a small room in one of her children’s homes, her eyes watering constantly. If she wanted to eat something, she waited until her grandchildren brought it. If she needed to use the washroom, her grandchildren led her there. She was completely dependent on her family to survive.

Aicha: Three Generations Transformed

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Aicha was the first child for her newlywed parents — a joyous start to their family! But, when Aicha’s mother became sick shortly after giving birth, their joyful celebration was put on hold. Three months later, Aicha’s mother passed away, leaving behind a devastated husband and newborn baby. Following her mother’s death, baby Aicha was taken in by her Grandmother, Mymoona.

Adam Zidane: Born to Play

Story

It was no surprise that 9-year-old Adam Zidane loved playing soccer. He was born on the same day as a 2009 Champions League match, and he was named after the famous French soccer player, Zinedine Zidane. Nothing brought his father, Abdoulai, more joy than watching his son play the sport they both loved. But when Adam Zidane was just 5 years old , he received treatment for malaria, where an accident with the IV drip in his lower leg caused swelling and infection. The muscles in his ankle became rigid and contracted. The injury cost him the ability to walk properly, run, and — worst of all — play soccer.

Assiatou’s First Steps

Story

When she was only six months old, Assiatou was left with severe burns after a car accident. Due to the lack of affordable medical care, these burns eventually formed into thick scar tissue. Her left ankle was tightly contracted which left her unable to walk properly. Despite growing up without the mobility to flex her foot, Assiatou learned to adapt by stepping on her heel instead. This limited mobility enabled her to walk to school to pursue her education, but also made traveling exhausting and painful.