Latest Mercy Ships Appeals
Breaking Shackles
Abel, above, is typical of the thousands who flock to our ship each year for life-changing surgery. These are the ones you can help by supporting our annual Breaking Shackles campaign.
The Breaking Shackles appeal is designed to fund the treatment of those who suffer from the pain and humiliation of disfiguring conditions such as facial tumours, cleft lips, cataracts, and club feet. Not only do these patients face the physical pain of their condition, but because of cultural superstitions, many are shunned and isolated by their communities. By correcting these conditions, Mercy Ships “breaks the shackles” of pain and superstition, allowing these patients to return to a normal productive life in their communities.
Please donate to the Mercy Ships Breaking Shackles appeal and help us to change the life of someone, like Abel, who is living in pain and shame.
For more information on the Breaking Shackles appeal and to view promotional material from this year's campaign, click and download the PDFs below:
Breaking Shackles 2010 Lick and Stick brochure
Breaking Shackles 2010 A4 flyer
A special request - Generating Healing Power
Pictured: A new 5L21/31 type onboard power generator, the same type and colour as the four on order for the Africa Mercy.
One of the support services critical to the smooth functioning of our hospital ship is a reliable supply of electricity. The Africa Mercy is equipped to the same standard as a medium-sized hospital, with 78 beds in four wards, six operating theatres, a modern X-ray and CT scanner, a dental practice, and a pharmacy. In addition to the hospital, there are living facilities for the approximately 400 voluntary crew members and their families, who often live onboard for months at a time: dining room, a large kitchen, recreation rooms, a laundry, and a small school.
All these amenities require a lot of electricity, which is produced onboard by four diesel-powered generators. The present generators are becoming increasingly unreliable as they are the original generators supplied to the ship when it was built as a Danish rail ferry back in 1980. We can no longer rely on 30-yearold generators for such a critical aspect of our operations, so we have made the
decision to replace the existing generators with new ones.
Our engineers have negotiated favourable terms with one of the world's major supplier of marine engines and generators, MAN Diesel & Turbo SE, to replace the existing generators. Klaus Stahlmann, CEO of MAN Diesel & Turbo SE, made this comment as he donated €350,000 ($490,500) towards the project: "Some of the world's poorest countries are situated on the African coast. Many people in these areas have no hope of receiving medical treatment, either because the medical infrastructure is not there or because it is only accessible to the few who can afford it. Mercy Ships does something remarkable by providing free assistance on its hospital ship in these very areas. We are delighted to support this vital initiative with our own diesel engines. Focus on Volunteers The more I work in the medical field the more I realise that no matter how good of a job I do as a nurse, it will never be enough. I just do the best job I can, pray, and let God do the rest. It's important to us to fulfil our social responsibility even in economically difficult times."
Don Stephens, founder and president of Mercy Ships, welcomed the donation: "We are delighted that MAN wants to support our work with the underprivileged in Africa. Thanks to this partnership and the new diesel generators from MAN Diesel & Turbo, Mercy Ships will be able to reduce its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% and also cut annual fuel costs substantially. The money we save will be used for the direct benefit of patients on board the Africa Mercy."
The generators will be mounted in such a way as to cause minimum vibration, as any vibration transmitted to the operating theatres could make the surgeons' task more difficult. The engines are due to be installed when the vessel docks in South Africa in September 2010.
There are substantial costs associated with the changeover of the generators and you can help by donating to this critical need. Guaranteeing a reliable supply of electricity makes it possible for more patients to experience the life-changing healing you can read about in the accompanying stories. May God bless you as you join us in “Generating Healing Power!"
Gary Regazzoli
Chief Executive Officer