by Brenda van Straten | Mar 10, 2021 | News, Patient Stories
Ly Cheick, a 24-year-old Guinean student, was in the prime of life with plenty of dreams for the future. However, he had a problem — one that was only getting worse over time. He had noticed a bump growing in his mouth that was becoming more and more visible. In 2020,...
by Brenda van Straten | Mar 2, 2021 | Patient Stories, Uncategorized, Video
When 4-year-old Tresor first opened his eyes after the surgery that removed his bilateral cataracts, his anxiety was soon replaced by a beaming smile. After months of slowly losing his eyesight – and facing a future of blindness – Tresor’s wide-eyed...
by Brenda van Straten | Oct 20, 2020 | Patient Stories
When Diacko was about three years old, his legs began to bow. Other kids made fun of him, and soon, even his own friends called him “the bowlegged boy.” It wasn’t until the arrival of the #AfricaMercy in Senegal that Diacko’s mom, Youma, began...
by Brenda van Straten | Sep 2, 2020 | Patient Stories
Upon first glance, one might mistake two-year-old Fatou (right) and her four-month-old brother (left) for twins. Born with a cleft palate, Fatou has had difficulty feeding and has not received the proper nutrition a growing baby needs. “I worried about what her...
by Brenda van Straten | May 19, 2020 | Patient Stories, Volunteer Stories
South African Physical Therapist Michelle White says that working for Mercy Ships has been on her radar since graduation. Now a reoccurring volunteer, Michelle shares that, “on the ship we are able to offer high quality treatment to patients – it is probably the...
by Brenda van Straten | Apr 7, 2020 | Patient Stories
Marie Madeleine is incredibly smart. In addition to speaking Wolof and French, this 13-year-old is learning English on top of her studies. She loves school, but there is one class she cannot participate in—physical education. As her classmates run around the yard,...
