Dr. Leo Cheng: A Life of Healing, Learning, and Service
Dr. Leo Cheng, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, with a patient.
“I feel so privileged to be a surgeon who can reconstruct tissues so patients can function again, as normal as possible.”
Few individuals embody the spirit of selfless service like Dr. Leo Cheng, a world-renowned surgeon specializing in oral, maxillofacial/head & neck surgery. A man of immense skill and deep compassion, Dr. Cheng has dedicated his life not only to his medical practice in the United Kingdom, but also to providing free, life-changing surgeries for the world’s most vulnerable populations through his work with Mercy Ships.
While his dedicated skills and professionalism have carried him through numerous roles and projects in his life, Dr. Cheng might be best known for his bright and energetic personality. He’s always smiling big and offering words of praise to anyone he happens to cross paths with. He loves people and whenever he speaks, his joy for life is palpable.
“My heart, my energy and my attitude come from being here on Mercy Ships. I feel as if I’m a schoolboy in a new school program, learning all the skills, so that I can help more people. And I’m like a sponge. I’m over 60 but I feel like I’m 18!”
A Dual Calling: Medicine and Dentistry
Dr. Cheng’s journey began in dentistry when he discovered his passion for hands-on work. But after saving a patient’s life during a cardiac arrest, he realized he wanted to do more. He pursued medicine, combining it with dentistry to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. He specializes in conditions affecting the face, head, and neck, which he calls “our stage to the world.”
Later, he earned a Master of Law degree to focus on ethics, emphasizing the importance of empathy and compassion. His work with Mercy Ships allows him to share not only his skills but also his ethical training, bridging the gap between high-income and underserved healthcare systems.
“When I look at things, I look at whether is it the right thing to do, is it ethical?” he explained. “Some people ask me, ‘but where do you use your ethical training in your massive law degree?’ I use that to train next generation surgeons, not just how to be professional but how to be ethical, how to be empathic, how to talk to the patients and, more importantly, how to think outside of the box.”
All this training has provided Dr. Cheng with a career any medical professional would be proud of. He holds three fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons, specializing in General Surgery (FRCS), Oral Surgery & Oral Medicine (FDSRCS), and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (Intercollegiate FRCS). In addition to his master’s degree in medical practice from the University of Wales, he holds a Fellowship in the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Currently, Dr. Cheng serves as the clinical lead in Oral, Maxillofacial/Head and Neck Surgery at Homerton University Hospital in East London. He also plays a critical role in training the next generation of surgeons, mentoring 60 core trainees annually across Greater London and the surrounding areas. His extensive research and publications have made him a respected figure in his field, and his lectures have reached audiences across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Dr. Leo Cheng, preparing for surgery.
A Life of Service With Mercy Ships
Despite his demanding career, Dr. Cheng has made it his mission to use his expertise to serve those who would otherwise have no access to surgery. For over two decades, he has dedicated several weeks each year to volunteering with Mercy Ships, performing free life-changing surgeries for hundreds of patients. His work has taken him to Liberia, Benin, Togo, Madagascar, Guinea, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Senegal, and the Republic of Congo.
His commitment is extraordinary, yet he still finds time to bring humor, fun, and fitness into his life.
“I’ve learned how to do gospel magic,” he said “Of course, a lot of those things don’t come naturally. It’s all practice, just like surgical practice that I do as a surgeon, I practice the art of magic and illusion.”
On a clear Saturday afternoon, Dr. Cheng stood before the children and parents of the Global Mercy™, performing science-based illusions. With audience participation, he guided children and their parents through a safe chemical reaction that combusted into flames in their hands, wooing the audience and nearby port workers alike.
In the rest of his spare time, Dr. Cheng keeps fit in the gym, doing cardio and lifting weights to stay energetic. Every other time, he is often found laughing and sharing stories with volunteers across the ship. There’s hardly anyone Dr. Cheng isn’t pleased to meet.
Transforming Lives Through Surgery
The impact of Dr. Cheng’s work with Mercy Ships is immeasurable. His expertise in maxillofacial surgery enables him to treat patients suffering from severe facial deformities, tumors, and other life-threatening conditions. In many of the regions he has served, access to surgical care is incredibly limited, and patients often live in isolation due to the stigma associated with their conditions.
“Mercy Ships does the most incredible work to save and improve lives and address global health inequalities through direct action and working with local partners. It is a huge privilege to be able to play a part in that work,” Dr. Cheng said. His surgeries not only restore physical function but also dignity and hope, giving patients the chance to rejoin their communities without fear of rejection.
“Because I’m a specialist in neck surgery, my training prepared me for goiters and tumors that are small. Here in sub-Saharan Africa, they can be much larger and more complex,” he explained “I love being able to transform people from these enormous problems that have gone untreated.”
For Dr. Cheng, the most rewarding moments are often after surgery, when patients see themselves and their visible transformations for the first time.
“After surgery, I love observing them. They look in the mirror and their hands lift to their faces where the growth once was, and they just can’t believe it. I go to them and say, ‘touch your face,’ and their eyes pop out in disbelief. They sometimes check the mirror five or ten times a day. They just can’t believe this massive growth they had been living with for years is now gone and they’re not dreaming!”
Dr. Leo Cheng, and Dr. Brad Aebi, Maxillofacial Head and Neck Surgeon, during a maxillofacial surgery.
Leadership and Advocacy
Beyond his surgical work, Dr. Cheng plays a vital role in the strategic leadership of Mercy Ships. Since 2020, he has served as a trustee, helping to guide the organization’s mission and expansion efforts. His involvement at this level enables him to influence policies that enhance the reach and effectiveness of Mercy Ships’ medical interventions.
“I support the staff, volunteers, and donors whose passionate commitment is rapidly expanding our reach and the number of people to whom we can bring much-needed care.” His commitment, along with other leaders, ensures that Mercy Ships not only continues to provide surgeries, but also trains local healthcare professionals, leaving a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
A strong advocate for Mercy Ships, Dr. Cheng is passionate about recruiting surgeons from all backgrounds to serve in the organization.
“We have surgeons who are from all different backgrounds and beliefs, because when you come to the ship, you realize this is about humanity. We are a ship that brings good, life-transforming surgeries to people in serious need,” he explained.
“If you are called to help other people, and if you are a surgeon with a skill that we need, I think your heart will be changed by coming on the ship no matter if you are a Christian, of faith, or no faith at all.”
“Just come!” he exclaimed with a big smile.
A Legacy of Healing
Dr. Cheng’s career is a testament to the power of skill, compassion, and dedication. Whether in the operating rooms of London or aboard a Mercy Ship in West Africa, his mission remains the same: to heal, to serve, and to give hope to those in need. His humility shows, and just in case you aren’t sure, he will tell you:
“I’m just a guy with two arms, two legs, a head, and some skills,” he said smiling.
His work reminds us that medicine is not just a profession but a calling—one that has the power to transform lives across the world.
“We need about 200 Mercy Ships worldwide. And we’ve got just two,” he said. “But God doesn’t want us to put him in a small box. God has got a bigger vision. We’ve started with two for now, but I believe there will be more one day. It’s exciting!”
Do you want to find your place on board like Dr. Cheng? Mercy Ships is looking for passionate volunteers in HR, accounting, hospitality, dining services, and more! Check out our current open positions.
