Driven by compassion and determination, nurse Betty Koker is transforming patient care in Sierra Leone — showing how mentorship and local leadership are building a stronger healthcare system.

Without volunteers like Trent Yoder, Mercy Ships couldn’t provide surgeries for patients efficiently. As the team lead in the preoperative department, Trent coordinates the intake of patients seeking free surgical care on the Global Mercy™.

By the age of 10 years old, Fudia had grown accustomed to the daily struggles of walking with severe bowed legs, including the curious looks from people and the ridicule of children in her community. According to Joseph, Fudia’s uncle and guardian, she was born with the orthopedic condition. “We noticed it the very first day she was born; her legs were not normal,” he shared. In their hometown in Sierra Leone, it is believed that continuous massaging of the legs with warm water will straighten out the legs, but despite this care, Fudia’s legs only became more bowed as she grew.