Screening Day - Benin Field Service 2009

Mercy Ships volunteers screen almost 2500 people at Benin screening day

Mercy Ships held its general screening day on Thursday, 19th February 2009, in Cotonou, Benin. At the Hall des Arts, Mercy Ships volunteer nurses, doctors, and support staff screened 1,952 patients. The number was so large a second day of screening took place on Friday, and over 500 more patients were screened.

Over two hundred people were already waiting when Mercy Ships security arrived at 3:30 am on Thursday, and they continued to flow through the afternoon. Seeing that many patients in one day is challenging, even for Dr. Gary Parker, Chief Medical Officer and maxillo-facial surgeon with Mercy Ships, who has worked at nearly fifty screening days.

"We see these thousands of people," Dr. Parker said. "Each one of these people is a fellow human being, and they all have their story, and they all have their hopes and dreams. We have to see them in such a way that respects them and their dignity as a fellow human being."

Patients received appointments for maxillo-facial and general surgery. Secondary screenings for eyes, orthopedics, releases for burn contracture, and vesico-vaginal fistulas will take place over the next few weeks. Mercy Ships plans on providing 7,000 free surgical interventions over the next 10 months.

But more than simply attending to medical needs, Mercy Ships volunteers strove to be the face of love in action, serving water and food to the patients, playing with children (Chris Josh & Emma spent the day doing this as seen in the picture above), and counseling any patients that could not be offered treatment (picture below). Many remarked on how calm and peaceful the atmosphere was.
The Junior High and High School students were released from school for the day to be involved. They had a great time playing with children and keeping them entertained as they waited to be seen. Josh tells a great story of his interaction with one little boy who was about 3 yrs old. The little boy was very serious and wouldn't smile or join in with the play, but Josh persisted in trying to get a smile and to include him. Eventually Josh said to him in the local language of FON "A fong en gia?", "Eh a fong en gee" which basically means "how are you? I am well...." The little boys face little up in to a huge smile and he promptly "went ballistic" (quote by Josh) so excited, jumping around and laughing and had a wonderful time playing with Josh. It made Josh's day!

"There was a joy, and a peace, and a comfort in that place," said Ans Rozema, Patient Services Coordinator. "With family members included, there were close to 4,000 people that came to us. It's really amazing what we can do together."

And to make the surgical procedures of Mercy Ships accessible to the people of North Benin, Mercy Ships volunteers also screened in the provincial capitals Parakou and Natitingou between the 11th and 15th of February. Sponsored by the Ministry of Health of Benin, the North Benin screenings were a range of conditions, including cleft-lip and palate revisions, orthopaedic treatment, and tumor removal.

Don Stephens - Founder of Mercy Ships flew in for a couple of weeks and was therefore in attendance at screening. Brenda can be seen in the bottom corner of this picture below (in blue, back to camera). Brenda and her HR team have been responsible for the registration of the patients for the last few years. The patients were pre-screened outside and then sent inside. Registration is the first station the patients come to. With the help of translators we asked for the patients name, age and basic contact details and then we weighed them. Benin is a French speaking nation, but in addition to French, the people speak a whole range of local languages as well including Fon, Mina, Yorouba.... From registration they move on to the next station for medical history details and basic obs, blood pressure, pulse etc and then on to several other stations before their examination by the surgeons/doctors

Between the two locations, 63 patients were scheduled for surgery, mostly for maxillo-facial or general surgery. Eighteen more were referred to the ship for orthopedic and VVF assessment. Eye candidates were given referrals to Mercy Ships eye clinics in Cotonou.

But for 17 year old Gyslain, who has had a large tumor hanging from his jaw since birth, those numbers aren't as important as the change in his own life and the lives of others he saw waiting around him in the Hall des Arts.

"I am very happy that Mercy Ships wants to help me to remove my tumor," Gyslain said smiling. "In my village, many people would laugh and say bad things. I will be really grateful if they can help me and I can live normally among other people...and if Mercy Ships can help other people, that will be very good."

[Coles Chronicles] BENIN - We're Here!

BENIN - We're Here! Brenda Feb 15, 2009 Our scheduled arrival on Monday 9th didn't quite go as planned. We were making our approach to the harbor when it was announced that there was a problem with the engines and that this would affect our ability to use the bow thrusters. The port of Benin is a very tricky port to navigate into, so neither the Chief Engineer (Andy) or Captain were willing to proceed without bow thrusters. What did we do? We went to Anchor while our engineering & electrical teams set to work to find the faults. It proved to be not an easy fix. Eventually at around 10:30pm after times of prayer on board the ship and prayer via satellite phone with our Marine Operations Department in Texas, the problem was solved. By this time it was of course dark, and though Benin is a 24/7 port we decided to wait till light and proceed into port the following morning 10th Feb. It was a shame as there had been a big elaborate arrival ceremony planned for us with local church choirs and dancers etc....Instead we spent the night at Anchor! That turned out to be a very uncomfortable night, with the ship rocking and rolling, not many crew slept. I lay awake hearing all our dishes and plates and cups crashing around in the kitchen cupboards. Our bed faces port to starboard so every roll had your head pressed up against the wall and then as it rolled back your feet pushing hard against the foot board. Emma's bed faces the same way as ours, but Chris & Josh's beds face bow to stern, so they were rolling from one side to the other, good job they have a side panel on their beds to stop them rolling out!! Around 8 am the following morning we pulled up the Anchor and began our approach once again. There is a Mercy Ships short term mission trip team just arrived in Benin to spend two weeks helping us prepare for this field service, so they and our wonderful Advance Team who we sent ahead of the ship in November to prepare for our arrival were all there waiting for us on the dock. It was a small group of maybe 25 people instead of the planned large group of participants of the Arrival Ceremony. Nevertheless we were very happy to finally pull alongside. The dock is a finger pier similar to Liberia, but there the similarity ends. It is a working pier, a cement dock, not very pretty and we certainly don't have the luxury of exclusive use like we did in Liberia. What we have discovered though is that everything is within easy walking distance to the dock, the local market and shops, as well as numerous hotels with pools whose facilities we can enjoy at the weekends. Our Advance Team procured us huge discounts so that we can go and swim at very low cost. This will be wonderful, especially for the families with children after Liberia, that had very little. One of the first things you notice about Benin is the heat. It is a lot hotter than Liberia with temps around 39 - 40 degrees F and 90 - 95 % humidity. Sunhats, Suncream,Water bottles and Flannels for mopping your brow are the essential items you take whenever you go out! Yesterday, Saturday 14th was our first trip into town. Benin is much more developed than Liberia with shops and good roads with pavements. It's much cleaner and more organized, but the biggest difference is that it is a French speaking nation. Emma and I have really enjoyed the opportunities we've had to use our French and are fairly confident with basic conversations, the down side is that the guys in the family tend to leave it to us girls. Emma and I are determined to be fully conversational in French by the time we leave here. I attended French classes on board for a couple of months organized by our Staff Development Department and taught by some of our French speaking crew. It is surprising how much I learnt and how much came back from when I studied French in School and then took my French GCSE in 1992 at night school. Apologies for the incorrect date on the photo. With yesterday being Josh's birthday we walked to one of the local hotels to check out the pool facilities. Today we will go with a group of 16 young people for a pool party in honor of Josh becoming a teenager! We bought Josh a new bike while we were in Tenerife, so he enjoyed riding on the dock and also when we went into town. He kept to the pavements because the traffic is chaotic, apparently there are rules of the road but no-one seems to know what they are, it's every man for himself and you take your life in your hands when crossing the roads. There are of course cars, and I must say they are in considerably better condition than the cars of Liberia, however the main mode of transport here is the Zemidjan (pronounced zimmyjon - a motor bike), again you would take your life in your hands to ride on one - not to be recommended!! We are very happy to be here in this beautiful nation with very lovely, friendly people. Though more advanced than Liberia and even it would seem Ghana, there is still incredible need here. There is a reasonably good healthcare infrastructure, but it is not free which therefore means the poorest of Benin are not able to access even the most basic health care. Our big medical screenings happen this week 19th & 20th at the "Hall des Arts" we anticipate thousands of people coming. Please join us in praying that God will leads us on both of those days to those He has purposes for, and that we would see many lives transformed both physically and spiritually as we extend the two hands of the Gospel, following the example of Jesus during our next 10 months here in Benin.

[Coles Chronicles] Honour for Mercy Ships

Coles Chronicles

Mercy Ships CEO Sam Smith announces:

"Mercy Ships has been honoured by Ministry Watch as a top 30 International Charity for 2008!
I would hope that all of the people and donors that have supported us worldwide would be happy to see Mercy Ships be in the top 30"

The following is the criteria that is used to determine this list:
MinistryWatch.com desires to see overall Biblical Christian values increase and as such we developed this format to highlight a sampling of ministries which are exemplary. These top 30 ministries represent some of the best ministries.

Identifying a diversity of the best ministries is challenging given the selfless work that so many do for the cause of Christ. No one is able to give to every ministry that one values as we are not possessed of unlimited resources. It is best to make an assessment of our options and make discerning decisions. MinistryWatch.com's assessment looked at the following seven areas when considering this list of 30:
1. Transparency
2. Truth Claims
3. Values
4. Sectors/Functions
5. Resourcefulness
6. Red Flag Issues
7. Consultation

Go to MinistryWatch.com for more detail

**************************

---

LIBERIA 2008 FIELD SERVICE FINAL REPORT

Below are some extracts taken from Mercy Ships Liberia 2008 Field Service Final Report, showing some of what we have achieved.

The Mercy Ship, the Africa Mercy arrived in Monrovia on February 6th, 2008. During the ten months of field service, the Mercy Ships offered free specialised curative surgeries, healthcare infrastructure development assistance, and community based preventive healthcare programs benefiting thousands of individuals and many communities in Liberia.

CURATIVE SURGICAL INTERVENTION
Mercy Vision (Ophthalmic Surgery)
1,659 eye surgeries performed

By utilizing our Field Eye Team's weekly visit to 4 locations - Redemption Hospital during the first half and then Faith Healing Temple of Jesus Christ, Tubman Memorial United Methodist Church on Duport Road, New Georgia United Methodist and Gracie A. Reeves Baptist Medical Centre in Gaye Town 17,610 patients received diagnosis and management of eye disease including surgical referrals. 1,638 accepted patients received 1,659 eye surgical procedures. Eight local eye health workers were trained to perform eye examinations and visual acuity. Two local surgeons received additional ophthalmic training. A partnership was established with SDA Cooper Clinic who provided services at reduced costs.


Outlook of Hope (Reconstructive Surgery)
1,434 maxillofacial, plastic and general surgeries provided
Before & After shots of Abel

Relationships established from earlier field services helped with referrals of up-country patients from Harper, Zwedru, Lofa County, and Gbanga. In addition to the one day mass screening on February 18th in Monrovia at the SKD Sports Complex, our teams screened at other up-country
locations. Over the ten months, volunteer surgeons performed 1,434 surgeries, including 122 cleft lip and/or palate repairs and 251 hernia repairs for 1,204 patients. Mercy Ships doctors also held a two day conference on anaesthesia at JFK Medical Centre.

Hope Reborn (Vesico-Vaginal Fistual (VVF) Surgery)
81 VVF/RVF surgeries provided for 63 patients plust training
An estimated two million women worldwide suffer incontinence due to vesico-vaginal fistulas (VVF) resulting from child birth injuries. Sixty three women received free fistula repair surgeries during the Liberia 2008 field service. All patients received a voucher for a free C-Section at ELWA Hospital for future pregnancy. In addition, 3 obstetric nurses from Phebe Hospital were trained for 2 weeks in VVF care. Four VVF surgeons were trained in VVF Surgery techniques.

Orthopaedic Surgery
198 orthopaedic surgeries provided for 159 patients
Health care professionals cared for 159 patients. Thirty nine patients had additional procedures. This project provided corrective surgical interventions which were focussed on neglected or mismanaged orthopaedic trauma, childhook musculoskeletal conditions like club feet, and some joint disease. The orthopaedic surgeries were performed by several different orthopaedic surgeons over a fourteen week period consisting of eight weeks of pediatric surgeries and six weeks of adult surgeries. To help with the pediatric conditions, the teams focus was on club feet (either surgery or casting) and tendon releases, including patients who have polio contractures. To address the high rate of road traffic and neglected war injuries, the team performed surgeries on chronic injuries, such as non-unions or fractures that have healed improperly. Handicapped International has provided orthotics and will continue to provide additional ones as needed.

Liberia Smiles (Dental Clinic)
11,081 procedures were performed for 4,994 patients
The Dental Team established a clinic in Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town. A total of 4,994 patients received treatments plus 717 patients received dental prophylaxis. 4,839 clients while in the waiting room + 663 students received lessons in oral health. Fifteen teachers received information in Dental Health Education. Three Liberians were trained as Dental Assistants/ Sterilizers during the entire field service. The Dental Team also went to Monrovia Central Prison and treated prisoners and staff for 2 days.


Palliative Care
33 patients have been regularly visited by our Palliative Care Team (inc. Brenda) plus follow up with patients from '07
The issue of death is not one that most Africans regularly talk about. Those who have sought our assistance and yet we are not able to assist surgically, we have referred them to our Palliative Care Team. The team made regular visits to the homes of the patients in and around Greater Monrovia. The team taught basic health care to all their patients and families and for the five patients requiring wound care, they provided appropriate training. In cooperation with our Mental Health Team and at their conferences, the team shared on compassionate care for the dying.

Counselors
Counselors available to our patients 24/7
Counselors provided prayer, counsel and comfort to thousands of our patients, those in the wards on the ship, at the dental clinic & field eye clinics and for the pre and post operative patients on the dockside. Weekly Sunday morning services were held for the patients on the wards along with Bible studies. They provided our patients with spiritual and emotional support.

HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Tenegar Medical Clinic Restoration Project
380m2 buildings completed

At the request of the President of Liberia, Mercy Ships construction supervisors lead local residents in the restoration of one building and the construction of the actual clinic building on the original footprint. In addition, Mercy Ships partnered with Living Water International for a deep water well. Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf came to the community for the official dedication on November 21st. The Ministry of Health & Social Welfare will be staffing and operating this medical clinic.

Tide of Mercy (HIV/AIDS Training)
74 trained in HIV/AIDS
Using a three phase approach, 74 participants from 13 churches in Caldwell, Coffee Farm and Duport Road areas in Montserrado County underwent intensive training over 6 days - averaging 35 hours/participants. Newly trained members are now at work in their communities. As churches were trained together, our hope is that they continue to work together in conducting ongoing HIV/AIDS awareness, training and care. Four hundred and thirty one individuals attended 2 three day conferences on HIV/AIDS in Buchanan in April and in Kakata in June.

Restoring Hope to Survivors (Menatal Illness & Trauma)
102 church leaders, 50 healthcare workers representing all 15 counties, and 60 healthcare workers received training in mental health
At the request of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia, Mercy Ships recruited highly skilled personnel who trained church leaders and health care workers through regular on site visits, lectures and multiple day conferences on issues of mental illness and trauma. Follow up was conducted by one of our counselors during the later stages of the field service. Over 144 church leaders and healthcare workers participated in our mental health workshop in Voijama, the sixth largest city in the nation.

Biomedical Technician Training
6 received intensive biomedical training
Six persons from five hospitals in Liberia received intensive training in biomedical skills. The project had four phases - Assessment, Training, On-Site Training at local Hospitals & Awareness Workshops. Besides electricity, electronics and medical equipment, basics of information technology were also added to the curriculum, including computer classes, internet searches for manuals and spare parts, plus about text editors and data tables. Each participant helped to repair and order spare parts for the machines in their hospital. Besides maintenance and repair, installation of new devices was also experienced. The Awareness Workshops were for university students to raise their awareness and to promote biomedical technology as a career choice.

COMMUNITY BASED PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE
Strategic Health Initiatives (Community Health Education)
108 received training in community health issues
Community health volunteers from the Tenegar area, Royesville and Northern Royesville were trained in ways to prevent the most common illnesses in Liberia. Strategic Health Initiative places a strong emphasis on clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, treating diarrhea, basic hygiene, exclusive breastfeeding and nutrition, maternal health and malaria prevention. Teaching also included the root cause of malaria and the value of using insecticide-treated mosquito netting. Participants were given the task to teach these topics in their own communities.
Food for Life (Agriculture Training)
163 Farmers trained in organic agriculture practices
Participants were trained in organic agriculture principals with a strong Biblical World View in the communities of Tenegar, Royesville & Northern Royesville. Participants were taught basic agricultural knowledge and practical techniques. In Royesville, Mercy Ships has introduced the growing of new and different crops into the garden, including cabbage, okra and the Moringa tree. In addition, two community gardens were established by the community. In Tenegar, Mercy Ships came along an existing agricultural cooperative and provided further training in organic principles. Follow up was done more extensively in the Cheesmanburg area, site of our '07 activity.



Water for Life
8 new hand dug wells completed, 10 wells rehabilitated and 90 household latrines built in conjunction with the villagers.
The water and sanitation project provided safe drinking water and sanitary facilities for the communities of Tenegar and Royesville. Mercy Ships used local technicians who we trained in '05 & '06. Participants from the villages in the area were trained in the efficient construction and maintenance of latrines and wells. Renovations were also done to the toilet block for the school in Tenegar.

Mercy Ministries
Over 700 volunteer crew members were involved with 9 projects.
Mercy Ships volunteers often pursued additional ministry opportunities during their off-duty hours, primarily evenings and weekends. During the Liberia field service crew members routinely visited: Missionaries of Charity, Centre for the Aged, Orphaned & Abandoned Children (the orphanage our family was involved with), God's Children Orphanage, Victorious Faith Ministries Refuge Home, Francis Gaskin Refuge Home, Monrovia Central Prison, Mama Cooper's Orphanage and Cheshire Home for the Handicapped. In addition and in partnership with local pastors, the Jesus Film was viewed by thousands of Liberians in English and in local languages.

JFK Medical Centre - 3rd Floor
Provided consultation in regards to the renovation of two wards at JFK in partnership with Balcraig Foundation
Mercy Ships monitored progress of the project for the renovation of two wards and served as a link between JFK Medical Centre and Balcraig Foundation.

Trinity Dental Clinic
Provided supervision for the construction of a 125 m2 dental clinic connected with ELWA Hospital.
Mercy Ships provided site management for the construction of an addition to ELWA Hospital for a Dental Clinic. The clinic will be used to provide dental services and be a training facility for local dental professionals.

Administrative Training with Ministry of Health & Social Welfare
6 participants received administrative training
Mercy Ships were approached by the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare in Monrovia, Liberia with a request for training of Administrative staff employed at the Ministry. The program was designed with three very specific goals and objectives in mind: To provide opportunity for participants to improve their skills and gain new skills, To provide the participants with an opportunity to personally develop themselves (character, attitudes, confidence), To provide the participants with the ability to become "change agents" and to use what they had learned to train others within their departments and the Ministry as a whole.

Church Leader's Conferences
750 church leaders attend Unity & Partnership in Ministry conferences
The Church Empowerment Team held two 3 day conferences on the subject of "Unity & Patnership in Ministry". The events were planned and executed in conjunction with steering committees of local church leaders in both Ganta and Tubmanburg.

[Coles Chronicles]

Coles Chronicles

Brenda Jan 2, 2009

Please note that there are always more photos added under Flickr, which you can access by clicking on the "Flickr Grid" in the top left hand section of our blog. In addition all members of our family have "Facebook" accounts, so there are plenty of ways to keep up with us and our news.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas time... as we did (read below), with a a real sense of Christ's presence at the centre of your celebrations. We missed having our two older boys Matt & Steve with us this year. They live together in a shared house in Newcastle and I was impressed to hear about the Christmas dinner they prepared with a couple of their housemates - the full works!

Please pray for us, especially Andy, as we prepare the ship and the crew for our next Field Service location - BENIN, West Africa (close to Nigeria). Benin is a French speaking nation and is the Voodoo capital of West Africa. We know we may face challenges ahead, but go forward with confidence in the authority given to us by God. "Greater is He that is in us...than He that is in the World"

God is Good....all the time....all the time.... God is Good!

We will arrive in Benin on 8th February 2009 for another 10 month Field Service of bringing Hope & Healing as we seek to follow the example of Jesus.

Thank you to all of you who sent us greetings, gifts and cards and for all of your prayers and support. It has made this a special time and we are so thankful to you all and for you all.
We pray God's richest blessings on you and your families for this coming New Year 2009 and for His Peace.

From the beautiful Island of Tenerife
Andy, Brenda, Emma, Chris & Josh
xxxxx

---

Christmas & New Year - Every Blessing for 2009

The last time I updated the blog we were still in Liberia. There were some tearful goodbyes when we left as we have made some very close friendships there. The hardest goodbyes for us were at the Orphanage. Dennis & Comfort and the 65 children have found a place deep in the hearts of our whole family.

Sailing to Tenerife.
We sailed from Liberia on 12th December and arrived safely in Tenerife on the early morning of 19th after a stormy sail. It is great to be back on this beautiful Island. There are definitely some adjustments to make having been surrounded by the poverty of Liberia for so long. This Island seems so wealthy and clean and VERY expensive! We are however very grateful to the Lord to have this time here. Emma, Chris & Josh are particularly enjoying the freedom they have here to go off with friends on their own into town, something they can't do in Liberia - it just isn't safe. There have been times in Liberia when we have had to hold onto Emma. She is touched and pulled and proposed to, every time she goes out with us. She takes it all in her stride but its hard for a teenager not to have the freedom to go out without adult companions. We have all really enjoyed some walks into town for ice cream or a nice meal.











I have had a wonderful vacation so far. I stopped work half way through the sail and return to work part time (while the kids are off school) on Monday 5th. I return full time when they go back to school on Jan 26th. This time in Tenerife is also our annual ship maintenance time so our technical guys don't get to have as much of a break as the rest of the crew. Andy has had several days off during the holiday week which has been lovely, but as Chief Engineer he is never really "off duty". The next 4 weeks will be a busy time for him.

Christmas & New Year.
Christmas on board a Mercy Ship is a special time and this year has been no different. We had 4 wonderful advent services leading up to Christmas and then our Christmas Service on Christmas Eve. Our main Christmas Dinner was also on Christmas Eve with a wonderful brunch on Christmas day. As is the usual tradition, gifts are left outside the doors and we enjoyed delivering our gifts to our many friends on board and woke on Christmas Day to find many small gifts for each of us. The gifts range from a sinlge candy to something like packs of home made cookies or nice smellies! Click on the Flickr Grid (top left of blog) to see more pics.


On New Years Eve we had our annual Ball and everyone got dressed up. We had a fun time dancing and just enjoying the company of our fellow crew mates, followed by a time of prayer and praise as we welcomed in the New Year. 5 minutes before midnight we went up onto Deck 8 and at the stroke of midnight enjoyed a spectacular 15 minute firework display at the end of the port. The sound of all the ships horns (including ours) was deafening!

We pray for each and every one that reads this that God will pour out blessings on you now and for this coming year 2009.

Emma, Chris & Josh School Photos

This years official school photos. Please check out the Flickr site (click on the grid - on the left) for more!

Chris spends a night in the AFM Hospital!

After a day of fun activities on the dock and around the ship in celebration of Mercy Ships 30th Anniversary, we had just spent a lovely evening of worship and reflection on Mercy Ships history and were leaving the cafe after having a sociable time with other crew and Emma came in and told us Chris had slipped over and hurt himself. He had been playing with some of the other young people on board and fell, landing awkwardly on his arm. There was already a nurse with him, but it was immediately clear that he had broken his arm. The bone just above the wrist was bulging in an abnormal way. Even through the dressing in the picture below you can see the bulge!!



We took him down to the Hospital where he was examined and then sent for X-Ray. The Crew Physician - Dr. Craig Albrecht confirmed that his arm was broken and that he would need surgery the following morning to manipulate the bone back into position.

Chris was given pain medication to ease his increasing discomfort and spent a fitful night on ICU - not ....I hasten to add because he needed ICU care, but because its a small quiet ward that had no other patients. He was set up with an IV drip in preparation for surgery, scheduled for around 8:30am the following morning. He didn't sleep particularly well but was in reasonable spirits when we arrived down to see him at 8am.
The pic below shows him just before going into the OR just after we all prayed with him. I'm told one of the surgeons has a pic of Chris actually during the surgery which I will get off him and add to this report later.



I was able to accompany Chris into the OR and stay with him until he was asleep. The procedure probably took no more than 10 minutes before the process of waking him started. He was returned to the ICU ward about one hour after surgery sporting a bright orange cast!



He was later taken for a further X-Ray and was back home in the cabin with us around 12:30 lunch time. He slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon.
He received the best possible care from a team of our own Surgical and Nursing staff, who we cannot speak more highly of. The love and care shown to Chris and to us was outstanding. Thank you to all involved:


Dr Leo Cheng - Surgeon
Dr. Craig Albrecht - Crew Physician
Dr. Derek Pearce - Consultant Anaesthetist
Tracey Jackson & Sarah O'Neill - Anaesthesia Providers
Linda Vicalvi - X-Ray Technician
Anneli Persson & Mary Peters - O.R Nurses
Brenda Howson, Andrea Visser & Todd Woods - Ward Nurses

You are all awesome!

We took Chris to see the Crew Phsyician the following day and he showed us the X-Ray taken after Surgery showing Chris's radius nicely re-aligned.

[Coles Chronicles] Out with the Palliative Care Team

Coles Chronicles

Out with the Palliative Care Team Oct 20, 2008

Introduction

On the ship, HR oversee what is called the “Minor Jobs” scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to allow those who are not normally working in what we call a “Programs” role to get involved. Programs include our Hospital and Healthcare functions, Construction, Water & Sanitation, Agriculture, Mental Health Program, Community Health Education & Palliative Care.

The idea is that by permission of your department head you are released from your primary job for period of time to get involved in one of these areas. The most typical release is half a day per week or at best a full day per week. It is so important for many to be able to get involved in this way and I’m no exception. I love my work in HR & alos with the Orphanage at the weekends but also wanted to get involved in one of our off ship programs. I had heard about the work of the Palliative Care Team and really felt this was something I would like to be involved with so I join the team just one day per month. It isn’t an easy option, but what a privilege to be able to come alongside people in their hour of deepest need. Currently the Palliative Care Team comprises June – PC Coordinator, Jim (one day per week, minor job) – PC Nurse, Jerry – Liberian day worker employed by Mercy Ships as our Translator, you’d be surprised how difficult Liberian English can be to understand! This is Jerry pictured below!

I go out with the team one Monday per month & Barbara – works in Hospitality and does PC as her minor job also.

These are some stories of those we visited on my last day out with the team last week.

Robert 6 yrs bilateral Burkitts Lymphoma - new referral (no picture)

We left the ship at 8:40am and already it was beginning to get hot. The official last day of rainy season is the 15^th October and the soaring temperatures are testament to that.

We drove for about 30 minutes through the morning traffic of Duala Market, renowned for being particularly hectic at this time of day, but were pleasantly surprised by a reasonably speedy journey. You have to be here to really appreciate the sights sounds and smells of an African market place and Duala is no exception. We had arranged to pick up 6yr old Robert and his mom Lucy at the last filling station before St. Paul’s bridge. From there we were going to take them to St. Josephs hospital to get Robert started on chemotherapy. First we drove to their home to pick up a few small possessions, including a straw mat for mom to sleep on during the time Robert was to be in hospital. The journey was about 50 minutes, back through Duala Market, through the centre of Monrovia and out towards Elwa.

Robert is a lovely little boy with a wonderful smile. He has two large swellings either side of his face, making both his cheeks protrude. In addition his left eye is also affected and beginning to swell. These swellings only appeared a month ago and this type of cancer is extremely aggressive but the success rate is reasonable IF treatment is started early enough. It was imperative to get Robert into hospital and get the treatment started. Concern was etched on the face of Roberts’ bewildered mother as we entered the hospital.

The hospital was crowded with people. It seemed very sparsely equipped with stone floors and wooden benches. Even at 10am it was very busy. We registered Robert, which for us, being Mercy Ships didn’t take too long as he had a referral from one of our Mercy Ships doctors. Once registered, we sat and waited for him to see the doctor and have blood taken for lab work. The doctor was unexpectedly in the Operating Room so we had to wait. There was no air conditioning so it was hot and noisy and very busy. Eventually Dr. Roberts arrived and Robert was sent to have blood taken. Once that was done we left Robert & his mom to see the doctor and have the admission process completed. He should start on Chemo tomorrow. We pray that it has been caught early enough. Four days later when June revisited Robert the signs were very good & he seems to be responding well to treatment.

Levi 9 yrs – Burkitts Lymphoma, possibly in remission

From St. Josephs we drove back towards Monrovia to the home of 9 yr old Levi. Levi & his mom Grace and younger brother Ivan have come to Monrovia from up country so Levi can get treatment, leaving the rest of their family behind. We pulled off the main road and travelled about a kilometre through a small market town and then pulled the Landrover off to the side of the road. We crossed and headed through a clearing in the trees to a small village. There were maybe 6 – 8 houses that I could see. Some were the more traditional mud houses, others were very derelict and war torn concrete houses. Children played in the dirt, men sat around and chatted and the women of the village were engaged in a variety of chores; washing laundry by hand with a wash board, sweeping floors, braiding their children’s hair, bathing babies and cooking over the open fires. A typical African village scene. As we approached, laughing children ran to greet us and threw their arms around our waists. Such open displays of affection and welcome are common here in Liberia. The children called out with smiles “Hello white woman”!

Grace brought a couple of small wooden benches out for us to sit on and placed them in the shade of a large tree – a welcome respite from the scorching mid-day sun. We sat and chatted with her for some time before Levi arrived home from school with his younger brother Ivan. Grace was clearly weary and heavy hearted as we talked. As any mother would be, she is desperately concerned for her little boy who has already undergone previous surgery on the Mercy Ship and then chemotherapy treatment in JFK Hospital here in Monrovia. The original diagnosis for Levi was a condition called Fibrous Dysplasia and his surgery was for debulking of the large swelling, however after a biopsy it turned out to be Burkitts Lymphoma.

Levi – on AFM after surgery & in JFK Hospital

Not only is she worried for her child, she has no money for his treatment, or for his school fees. Leaving home, up country, meant she also left behind her means of earning an income from her small farm market stall. Mercy Ships Palliative Care program has some money within its budget to help support these families for the cost of medical care so we were able to give enough money to help pay the hospital bills. It was heartbreaking though to hear this mother’s plight as she is struggling to feed her children on next to nothing. She explained that sometimes neighbours take pity on them and gave them “small small” bits of food. As she was telling us this Ivan who is probably 6yrs old stretched across his mothers lap and cried for some bread, which she couldn’t give him. It took all the strength I could muster in that moment to hold back the floodgates as I observed this family’s plight. I thought about my own children on the ship, healthy and strong, well fed and comfortable and realised again how blessed we are. Grace was doing her best for her children with almost nothing.

Levi has been told by the hospital to go back and visit in 3 weeks so they can see how he is doing. His mom has been warned that though his cancer has stopped growing for the moment, it could well start up again.

We asked Grace to find out what is would take for her to start a small market stall here, in Liberia while she is here so she could at least start to earn a little money. June (Palliative Care Coordinator) will return on Wednesday to talk more and see if we can help. Before we left we prayed for this family, for Levi who is the dearest boy, very bright and so appreciative of our visit. We prayed for wisdom for the way ahead for them and for God’s provision, for a miracle in this desperate situation. They walked with us back to the road and waved as we drove away.

Levi & Ivan his younger brother

Sarah 78 yrs – Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Sarah is a joy to know and this was to be my second visit with her. She has a sharp senses of humour mixed with a wonderful faith in God. Sarah’s house is a bit more challenging to get to, so we drove through the village as far as we could and then walked for about 10 minutes to her house. She lives in a room in a fairly large house covered in corrugated iron sheeting and shares it with probably 6 families. She has her own room at the back.

Sarah – on Screening Day

Sarah has a large tumour on the side of her face which is constantly oozing. Last time I visited she had a veil draped around her head, today the dressing was off, the veil was gone and the tumour (which had grown since last time I went), was dripping down the front of her clothes.

Sarah – on Screening Day

June bathed the tumour and added a fresh dressing advising Sarah to keep the dressing on. The trouble with having it exposed is that it will attract flies and other insects which could lay eggs and bring all kinds of extra problems. We topped up Sarah’s supplies of swabs, sterile water for bathing her tumour and extra dressings. We also gave her a further supply of pain medication and multi-vitamins. Then we sat and chatted. Sarah loves to tell us all about what God has been speaking to her in the last week and she talks easily about the things he tells her. Things like; that He will never leave her or forsake her, that He will help her in her pain. It was inspiring to hear her and then June asked me to pray for Sarah. It struck me how blessed I had been hearing of God’s faithfulness to Sarah and I asked God to give me the right words as I prayed for her and that I could be a source of blessing in return.

Odette 4 yrs – Burkett’s Lymphoma

Odette lives in the same village as Sarah. She is only 4 years old and today’s was just a brief visit as its her birthday on Thursday & June wanted to let her mom know that she would return on Thursday with Cake for Odette and the children of the village in celebration of her birthday. The swelling on her face is clear evidence of this awful disease.

Odette - taken the day we visited

We only stopped a very short while with her at the end of a tiring day, but it was great to end the day with her. Odette smiled broadly and leaned in to me as we chatted and made plans for her birthday.

Palliative Care is all about showing love and care for those we are powerless to bring physical healing to, other than chemotherapy treatments, pain management medication and wound care. Most of the patients are terminally ill, except for a few who are able to start treatment early enough. We have cared for over 30 during this field service and only a handful of 10 – 12 are still alive. Palliative care is also about loving and supporting the families as much as possible as they struggle to look after their loved ones in their last days and then with the eventual funeral arrangements and a little help with expenses.

Please remember Robert, Sarah, Levi & Odette in your prayers and each of their families as they care for them.

Brenda

---