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Sierra Leone
Press releaseFreetown, Sierra Leone – August 15, 2024: The world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy™, was welcomed back to Freetown yesterday in a partnership between international charity Mercy Ships and the Government of Sierra Leone to deliver more than 1,400 life-transforming surgeries and continued training opportunities for Sierra Leonean healthcare workers.

The Girl Who Brings Joy: Naserry’s Story
Blog, BlogNaserry was always a happy child, the kind of girl who brings joy to a room just by entering it. To describe her personality, her aunt, Salamatu, simply laughed and responded: “She likes to talk!”
Salamatu has held onto high hopes for her niece, who dreams of becoming a lawyer one day. She refused to stop dreaming big for Naserry, even after a childhood accident, during which Naserry fell into a cooking fire, left her with severe burns and limited use of her right elbow, wrist, and pinky.

Inspiring Excellence: Ophthalmology Training in Sierra Leone
Blog, BlogMercy 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.

Mechanic whose toothache turned into tumor has life-changing surgery through charity Mercy Ships
Press releaseA 21-year-old man is rejoicing after receiving free surgery from a charity to remove a tumor that had grown to half the size of his face.
Papa from Western Senegal was just a teenager when he noticed a small lump in his mouth. But despite hospital staff telling him it was just toothache and would heal, it continued to grow, causing him pain and partially blocking his sight.

Reclaiming Life: Papa’s Story
Blog, BlogPapa has a photo of a motorcycle engine on the wall of his bedroom. At just 21 years old, he has already established himself as an exceptional mechanic, dedicating his days to mending and reviving motorbikes. “Fixing bikes has always been a passion for me since I was a child,” he says.
When a large tumor began growing from the left side of his face, not only did it put his health in jeopardy, but he feared that it would dash his prospects as a professional mechanic. “This work has a lot of physical demands; it is harder to do with a tumor in the way,” he explained.

A Life-Altering Surgery for Hassan
Blog, BlogWhen a father passes away, a son struggles to remember as much about his dad as he can. Some of Hassan’s final memories of his father involved living with him while contracting the same condition that ultimately took his dad’s life: complications from an abdominal hernia.

The Impact of Timely Dental Care: Ibrahim’s Story
Blog, BlogWhen 13-year-old Ibrahim arrived at the Global Mercy™ in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the left side of his face was tremendously swollen, protruding well beyond the teen’s jawline. He’d developed a simple toothache when he was 9 years old, but left untreated, the problem worsened, and a big part of his jawbone became infected.

A Double Portion of Blessings for Emmanuel
StoryOf all the birthdays he’d celebrated in his life, Emmanuel’s 43rd would turn out to be something truly extraordinary.
Just a few days after turning the page to a new year of life, a new chapter began. Emmanuel was wheeled into an operating room on board the Global Mercy™ hospital ship, where he became the very first patient to receive surgery during the field service in Freetown, Sierra Leone. There, in a surgery that took just 48 minutes, Emmanuel was freed from the tumor that had been growing on his neck for 4 years.

Ministry of Health and Mercy Ships Extend Stay of Hospital Ship in Sierra Leone to Provide Life-Changing Surgeries and Education
Press releaseThe Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the renowned international charity Mercy Ships, proudly announces the extension of the Global Mercy’s stay in Sierra Leone. This affirms the commitment to addressing the surgical needs of the Sierra Leonean people and advancing healthcare education in the region.

Finding New Freedom: Unlocking Ramatulai’s Voice
Blog, BlogFor the last 20 years, Ramatulai’s voice had been locked inside, as she was completely unable to open her mouth.
The rare condition, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis, affected Ramatulai from early infancy when she experienced trauma to her jaw as a newborn.