A 14-year-old girl from Sierra Leone is free to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor after having a facial tumor removed by international health charity Mercy Ships.  Without the timely surgery, the tumor would likely have continued to grow to the point of causing airway obstructions, and ultimately, death by suffocation. 

The tumor on 38-year-old Fidisoa’s back started out just like a tiny pimple... then it turned into a lump... and eventually grew to the size of a fist. Before long, the tumor had grown to such a size that when Fidisoa wore a shirt, any onlooker would have assumed he carried a backpack underneath.   Now 53, Fidisoa has come a long way, having spent the last 15 years of his life shadowed by the massive tumor on his back – but he’s always remained determined to find a solution. 

Mercy Ships serves its partner nations using a doubled-edged approach to bringing hope and healing – providing free and safe surgeries to those in need on board hospital ships, and empowering local healthcare providers with effective training and mentorship leading to better care for the people they serve. Mercy Ships drives the latter through our Education, Training and Advocacy (ETA) program, which involves identifying and understanding the gaps that exist in the health landscape of the country before contributing to the bridging of such gaps using training and advocacy.