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Global Mercy
Blog, BlogWithout 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™.

Young Man’s Life Transformed After Mercy Ships Removes Life-Threatening Tumor
Press releaseA young man from Sierra Leone who was forced to leave school due to relentless mockery over a life-threatening facial tumor has had it successfully removed by international charity, Mercy Ships.
Alex, now 23, first noticed a swelling on his jaw in 2016 as a teenager. Over the years, the tumor grew significantly, making it difficult for him to eat, speak, and swallow. It left him increasingly isolated and raised fears that it could eventually impair his breathing.

A New Gift: Hope for Emmanuel
Blog, BlogManteneh was a nearly defeated woman when she brought her 3-year-old son, Emmanuel, to Mercy Ships in January. She told doctors on the Global Mercy™ that several local hospitals in Freetown simply did not know what they could do to treat Emmanuel’s rare disorder, lymphangioma, so they turned her away. For Manteneh, Mercy Ships was their last chance.
She explained how this all began. Shortly after her son was born, she noticed a white-colored swelling around his ear. Unsure of what to do, she compressed the area with warm water, but things began to worsen.

Six Years to a New Life: Fudia’s Transformation Story
Blog, BlogBy 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.

Fudia, 10, is standing tall after free life changing surgery from Mercy Ships – gaining 14 Centimeters in height
Press releaseA ten-year-old girl is standing 14 centimeters taller after receiving free, life-transforming surgery from international charity Mercy Ships to straighten her severely bowed legs.

On World Sight Day: New Vision and New Life for Mamadou
Press releaseThe moment a seven-year-old boy sees clearly for the first time has been captured in a video by the charity that gave him surgery.
Surgeons from international charity Mercy Ships believe Mamadou, who lives in Sierra Leone, would have lost his sight entirely if he had not had his bilateral cataracts removed.

How Matron Betsy Deen is Transforming Healthcare at Freetown’s Largest Hospital
Blog, BlogRunning a hospital isn’t an easy task — it takes leaders carefully orchestrating a sea of moving parts to keep operations running smoothly. Matron Betsy Deen is that person at Connaught Hospital’s surgical department in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
During Mercy Ships’ 2023-24 field service in Freetown, several training opportunities were offered through Education, Training, and Advocacy (ETA) programs, which helped strengthen the ties between Mercy Ships and Sierra Leone’s healthcare network.

Back to school: Headteacher returns after melon-sized tumor that forced him to quit removed by surgical charity
Press releaseA headteacher who had to quit his job after a melon-size tumor grew on his face was greeted with open arms as he returned to the classroom after receiving transformational surgery from charity Mercy Ships.
Grandfather Auguste, 64, spent six long years away from his school in Senegal after the tumor forced to him to leave as it expanded from a spot to the large growth over 13 years.

Returning to His Calling: Auguste’s Story
Blog, BlogFor 51 years, Auguste lived a healthy, active life. He trained in the Senegalese military, moved north to the capital city of Dakar, raised a family, and found his passion as a schoolteacher.
Then, one day, Auguste noticed a spot on his face. Three years later, this spot started to grow. Over the next five years, it ballooned into a massive tumor protruding from his cheek and mouth.

Regaining Confidence and Reclaiming a Dream: Lucy’s Story
StoryBorn into a family of six children in Sierra Leone, 14-year-old Lucy loves science and wants to be a medical doctor. According to her mother, Isatu, “Lucy loves school. Even when she is not in school, she loves to study. After school, she eats and then goes and studies and does homework.”
At home, she is a joy to her family.