All Good Things Must Come to an End

Four months has already managed to pass me by. Which means I will be headed home in the next couple of days. There are so many emotions running through my head that I'm not entirely sure how to process. So many amazing things have happened, so many amazing people that I've met. And that makes it really hard to say goodbye. But at the same time I'm very much looking forward to seeing my family and friends again.

Five in the back, two in the front plus the driver!

And so to conclude, here is a list of some of the random, crazy, wonderful things that I have been able to experience/observe that haven't yet made it to my blog:
- Taking a taxi. Now in most places, this is no big deal. But here its always an adventure to find a taxi who a) speaks English or understands small small French mixed mostly with hand signals b) won't give you excessive fote (white person) prices and c) has any idea where you are trying to go. Fitting large groups of people in the taxi though (or entire furniture sets, or a couple mattresses)... no problem!

13th place!

Making fufu.

- One of the couples on board put a lot of time and effort into organizing an amazing race for us around Conakry. Some of the activities included finding people to pay us to shine their shoes, catching chickens, making fufu, playing soccer against some local kids, and my personal favourite, paddling a boat out to a point and back again (we may have been known as the team that sunk the boat and had to swim all the way back through some terribly dirty water. All manner of garbage is dumped in the ocean, including hospital waste. Yeah, its as pleasant as it sounds).


- I love the ocean, so to be living on it has been wonderful!






- I got to ring in the New Year in a most unusual way. While in Coyah we watched an African dance troupe during the last minutes of 2012 and the beginning minutes of 2013 and of course I got dragged up on stage. And what else was there to do but join in the dancing.

- Besides car taxis a lot of people get around using moto-taxis. And like the taxis they enjoy piling things on those as well (multiple children, boxes, chicken, multiple loaves of bread). While we were in Kindia there was an opportunity for us to have a go at riding on the back of one. My first time on a motorbike and let me tell you it is all kinds of awesome. (Please don't freak out too much Mom. It was safe. Promise.)

Showing off some moves for the Canadian Barn Dance.

- Our Scottish friends on board put together a lovely evening of Scottish dancing called a ceilidh. Think square dancing mixed with Pride and Prejudice style dancing. Such a good time! On top of that there have been dance lessons some Friday evenings and dinner at The Garden always includes some dancing to live African music.  

Dressed in our finest, standing in line for mocktails.

 - The annual Africa Mercy International Film Festival is probably one of the most looked forward to events on the ship. It gives everyone a chance to dust off their fancy clothes and get all dressed up. Groups made 5 minute films and entered them into the contest to be judged. It was a very entertaining evening.

Picture by Bethany Salmonson

- Being in Africa one has to try some African food. Fufu, a pounded up yam mixture popular in Togo, was one such food that I tried. A family that had moved to Guinea from Togo hosted a couple of people from the ship at their house to enjoy some fufu, rice, sauce and meat. Traditionally fufu is eaten with your fingers.

Fufu!

What an amazing trip. I know its time for me to go home but I will be back on this ship again. So until then, farewell Africa!

A Walking Blood Bank

       Many of the surgeries performed on board can cause some blood loss and therefore blood transfusions are necessary, as is normal in all hospitals. What is not normal however is the means of obtaining blood for transfusions. In most hospitals there would be a large supply of banked blood coming from numerous donors around the city, with pretesting and typing done long before getting to the hospital. Here we rely on crew members to sign up to donate their blood (and so we so lovingly call them our walking blood bank). As a lab tech on board I do the pre-screening blood collection and testing, posting of notes on peoples doors requesting them to come in and give, collection of units, testing of units and finally delivery of the unit to the operating room.
        It is very encouraging to see crew members willing to give not only their time and money to be here, but also the blood flowing through their veins. Without it the surgeons would not be able to do a number of the life-saving surgeries. Sometimes, if the patient is a B type, finding blood can be difficult as Africans have a higher percentage of type B blood compared to any where else in the world. During my time here we had a specific need for this type in one of the big cases and ended up having to overhead page people to come and be tested. There was a line-up outside our door for an hour of people who before had maybe been a little hesitant to donate (that needle is not small!) now wanting to know their blood type to see if they could help.

Bringing my blood to the OR.

       As many of you know I am also not a fan of needles and have never donated blood before. After trying to recruit all my friends to donate I realized that I should probably donate as well. So in January I filled out my form and had my pre-testing done. After poking countless other crew members I ended up on the other side of the needle today to give my blood. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And about 10 minutes after donating I brought my own blood to the OR to be given to a patient in surgery. Yet another interesting experience unique to Mercy Ships. 

A Little Love Goes a Long Way

Some of my favourite patients down on the wards are the VVF (vesicovaginal fistula) ladies. They have been through so much pain and suffering, losing a child in a horribly painful and long childbirth that has caused them to leak urine and most of them to become outcasts for years. Yet they always offer a ca va? (how you doin?) with a big grin when walking down the hospital hall, a handshake and cheek kisses, hugs, dancing etc. I was walking very quickly down the hall one day and one of the ladies started copying me and walking fast with her arms pumping all the while grinning mischievously at me. I couldn't help but laugh. Next time she saw me she did the same thing again.  Another time I was sitting on the ward for a Sunday ward service beside one of the ladies lying in bed. She held out her hand right beside me as though begging me to take it. When I grabbed her hand and squeezed it she smiled at me and held on tightly for the remainder of the service. Such a simple act but it meant a lot to both of us. 
As I said many of them are outcasts. Even most of there husbands abandon them. There is so much inner emotional stuff to deal with as well as physical stuff. So when they come here and everyone gives them so much love they just are so loving back. When I went to a dress ceremony (the woman who are dry due to successful surgery get new dresses to symbolize becoming a new person and being able to re-enter society) for the first time hearing their stories through the translators really touched me and there was not a dry eye in the room by the time they were finished. Here is a story written by one of the Africa Mercy writers about one of the ladies journeys:

What could possibly compel a poor woman in West Africa to travel over 1000 kilometers – a journey that would take six months and exhaust all of her resources and ingenuity – to get to a hospital ship? The answer is stark in its simplicity – the journey was born out of a desperate, fragile hope that she could find healing and restoration.

Binta lives in southeast Guinea. Six months ago, a man in her village told her about news he had heard on the radio – a hospital ship was coming to the nation’s capital, Conakry. “The ship has doctors that can help you,” the man said.

Binta is in her late thirties and has suffered from vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a devastating childbirth injury, since she was a teenager. During several days of prolonged, obstructed labor, Binta’s baby was stillborn during a traumatizing delivery. The injury to her birth canal made Binta incontinent; she has been continuously leaking urine for years. Her condition made her an outcast within her own remote village. But now there was news that she could be “fixed” . . . and she dared to hope.

With the little money she had, Binta set out on her journey – a trip that was filled with new experiences.

She traveled from her village in the dense rainforest region to the city of Senko. Once there, she used what little money she had to pay for transportation to the next city – Beyla. It was her first time to ever ride in a car.

From Beyla to Nzerekore to Macenta to Gueckedou to Kissidougou to Conakry – a blur of new sights and sounds. She stopped when she had to, staying in one city for up to two months where she worked doing laundry to save enough money for the next leg of her journey. She paid people with cars or motorbikes to give her a lift. Binta traveled more than 661 miles (1063 km) in 6 months to seek help from Mercy Ships.

Finally, she arrived on the dock – with no money and only the clothes on her back. “It was something inside of me that told me, ‘Do it!’” Binta said. The Africa Mercy is the first ship she has ever seen.

Last week, Mercy Ships volunteer surgeon Dr. Steve Arrowsmith repaired Binta’s fistula. Today she is dry. She no longer leaks urine; she no longer smells. And now, Binta longs to return home to her sister’s children, triplets, whom she has cared for since her sister passed away in 2011. Because there are no phones there, Binta hasn’t spoken with her family since she left. Fortunately, she will get home to them soon – a much simpler journey this time, with assistance from Mercy Ships.

And Binta will leave Mercy Ships with a dry skirt, a full heart and a new life. Her courage has been rewarded, her hope has been reborn, and her life has been restored!

Written by Catherine Clarke Murphy
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photographs by Deb Bell and Michelle Murrey

   

Smiles and Hugs

There is no shortage of adorable children in Africa. One of the most precious things is when a child runs at you, arms spread wide open and hugs your knees in a tight embrace. That would melt even the coldest of hearts. 

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Goodbyes are a natural part of life. But on the Africa Mercy they are almost a constant part of life. Every weekend a number of crew walk down to the dock for the dreaded dock goodbye. Little groups of people hugging, laughing, and crying with "come visit me in this and that country" floating through the air before the land rovers carry those departing around the corner to pick up those replacing them. 
And before getting adjusted to not having this or that close friend around, a new smiling face is there waiting to make new friends, asking the same old questions that you were so excited to ask upon arrival. "Where are you from?", how long are you here?", "what department are you in?"etc... And the last thing you want to do is answer because you don't want to make new friends just to say goodbye to them too. But once this little cloud of depression passes you realize you need to make new friends and it really isn't that bad. And so this cycle continues week after week. Just another unique part of Mercy Ships.

Miss all my ladies who've been on the leaving end of the goodbyes!

Hope and Healing

Below is a story about one of the patients that was helped on the ship during my time here in Guinea. 

Rather than joyous celebration, the reaction to Yaya’s birth was broken family ties. Yaya’s mother, Salematou, and his father, Abdulaye, were not married when their son was born. The tradition that Salematou’s father lived by did not make room for a child born out of wedlock. Despite Salematou’s pleading with her father to allow her to keep her child, his decision was final. As soon as Yaya could leave his mother’s breast, he was sent to live with Kadiatou, his grandmother on his father’s side.
Living with his grandmother turned out to be a wonderful blessing for Yaya. Kadiatou personifies the bottomless heart and limitless space that African grandmothers offer their children and their children’s children. She assumes whatever responsibility comes her way, no matter the burden. Kadiatou explains, “There are many mouths that I feed in my family. In addition to Yaya, five of my children and their nine children need my support too. Everyone shares in the work of the household, but earning income in Conakry is very difficult. My husband now, Mamadouba, is very old. He gives what money he can, but he has family to support too.”
Yaya stole his grandmother’s heart from day one. His ready smile and eagerness to be close to her formed a thick bond. When tragedy struck Yaya, Kadiatou was distraught. “Yaya started walking when he was one year old, but after taking a few steps he would fall. We tried many traditional medicines, but his condition grew worse. At eighteen months, his legs started to twist and curl up. They failed him entirely.”
Yaya’s uncle, also named Yaya, remembers this as a time of many trials for his mother.  “Kadiatou was so afraid for Yaya. He often had a high fever, and his legs would cramp up terribly. He would cry for hours from the pain. Kadiatou tried everything to soothe him. She held him for hours. Then my father and sister died very close together. My mother’s heart was broken into so many pieces.”
Kadiatou, who had taken in her daughter’s five children, decided that moving the family to Conakry, the capital of Guinea, was best for Yaya. “I hoped that the medical care Yaya needed was in a big city. As well, I knew that Conakry had schools for handicapped children that Yaya could attend.” Another important reason for the move was that Kadiatou was protecting Yaya from the villagers who thought that children with disabilities were cursed. She would not stand for her grandson being tormented, ridiculed, or forced into hiding.
When Yaya reached five years of age, he started attending the school for handicapped children. “I was so happy for Yaya. He started to learn his letters and bring home things he made,” Kadiatou says. Although there were no school fees and transportation was provided, Kadiatou still had expenses to cover, like school supplies. She made ends meet by going to the Grand Mosque daily and helping with cleaning and cooking. After a full year of being a volunteer, she was finally included in the group that received a weekly stipend, plus donations of money and food from appreciative people attending the Mosque.
Yaya often joined Kadiatou at the Mosque after school, and he soon became a favorite with everyone. In the Muslim faith, people are eager to help the needy as a way of observing sadaqah, the duty to overcome miserliness. Many Muslims wanted Yaya to join the group of handicapped people who begged, so that people could give to him. Kadiatou was against Yaya’s doing this, regardless of the enormous struggle she had to support the family. “I faced so much pressure to allow Yaya, in such obvious need, to help people fulfill their duty to sadaqah. I finally relented,” she explains.
Kadiatou continued to be distressed with Yaya’s participating in sadaqah. She prayed that Yaya would get his education and find an occupation where he could use his sharp mind and very able hands. Kadiatou had many doubts about her prayer being answered, but she remained faithful, clutching that thin bit of hope to her heart.
Yaya himself dared not hope. But then an incredible set of circumstances unfolded around him. Nick Veltjens, who worked with orthopedic patients, saw Yaya at the patient screening location the day before consultations began. “I waited all screening day for Yaya to come because I thought we could help him. We didn’t see him that day, so I sent an email around asking if anyone knew where he was.”
According to Yaya, “I did go to the screening with my friend, but I lost my courage.” Yaya left without being examined.
The next day, Dan Bergman, a long-term hospital volunteer, came to Nick with a video of a possible orthopedic patient that he had just seen outside the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic. According to Nick, “What a coincidence that Dan found the same little guy that I was looking for!”
For Dan, this series of events said loud and clear that, “God wanted Yaya to find Mercy Ships. He kept putting him in front of us!” Dan tracked Yaya down at the Mosque and delivered the news that he had an appointment at the hospital ship.
But Yaya missed his appointment. As he says, “I did not believe I could be healed, and so I did not want to tell my grandmother to bring me. She would be too disappointed.” But another divine coincidence occurred that finally put Yaya and Mercy Ships together. A government official, Cellou, who had befriended Yaya at the Mosque, was at the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic that same week. He casually asked what a young boy with deformed legs needed to do to get an appointment. It was quickly realized that the boy in question was Yaya and that he just needed someone to bring him to his appointment.
Cellou immediately went to Yaya’s grandmother with the news about Yaya’s appointment. They agreed that Cellou would go to the hospital ship with the boy. When Kadiatou received the telephone call from Cellou telling her that Yaya was accepted for surgery, she experienced a mixture of emotions. “I was so grateful that Yaya could be helped. It was all that I had prayed for. But I was also very uncertain and afraid. I wondered how it would be possible to fix Yaya’s legs and what he would go through.”
Dr. Frank Haydon, volunteer orthopedic surgeon, was able to fix Yaya’s legs. According to Dr. Frank, “The condition that Yaya was born with caused his bones to be very brittle. As he started to walk, the pressure on the bones caused multiple fractures. The surgery he had aligned his leg bones properly, and the two rods I installed will give his legs the needed strength and structure so he can walk.”
Each day Yaya does grow stronger. He is starting to take his own steps with the help of a walker, and he has progressed to simple below-the-knee leg casts. But at the same time, each day wears on Kadiatou. She shows the strain of being away from family and being indebted to more and more neighbors. She has borrowed money from them for food and malaria medication. However, regardless of the hardship, Kadiatou’s commitment to see Yaya through his healing journey is unwavering. “I would endure anything so Yaya can do what he longs to do more than anything else – play football. By suffering for Yaya and my family now, I know that there will be great happiness in the future,” she says.

According to his uncle, Yaya’s journey to hope and healing is summed up in a few words: “Yaya is so loved by everyone on Mercy Ships.” And, still, even with so many kind hearts embracing Yaya, there is one who continues to occupy the most special place in his heart. As clear as a bell, Yaya declares, “I love my Grandmother so much! She has done everything for me.”

Written by Joanne Thibault
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell and Michelle Murrey

A chance to enjoy Creation.

Having some time off from work over Christmas allowed me to be able to see a little bit more of the country then just Conakry. Being able to sleep in relative silence (no humming engines and A/C) with just the sounds of creation playing outside the window was a huge blessing and very rejuvenating. Along with some friends I was able to go inland to where the mountains begin just outside of a little village called Coyah. We stayed at a place called Milly Mamadou, run by a Dutch NGO. 

Our accommodations. We stayed in the two rooms in the hut to the right.

So many gorgeous butterflies everywhere.

The river right behind our huts was also the local laundromat and bathtub.

Hiking through the African jungle! Not as scary as it sounds.

Our guides took us to a dried up waterfall as an added bonus to our hike.

Enjoying our first day of the New Year by the river.

A couple of us were also able to go to one of the islands (Kassa) off the coast for an overnight stay. We had the most amazing view of the ocean from the window of our huts situated right on the beach front.

The gorgeous view.

We stayed in the green hut to the left.

Our seating for the evening.

Amazing sunset to accompany our dinner.

A chance for some quiet contemplation.

On the way to one of the villages.

My lovely ladies.

I can only thank God for giving me such a blessed holiday from the work I have been doing here. It strengthened me, allowed me to focus myself and prepared me to begin work again this past week. And a busy week it was down in the hospital, getting back into the swing of things with some complicated surgeries. Please continue to pray for the work of all those on the ship and the lives of the patients.