Leocadie and her husband Edwige were filled with excitement when they found out they were expecting their fourth child. Leocadie was thrilled to have a new baby boy! But during a routine check up, an ultrasound revealed some alarming news that no mother wants to...
Zakael grins from ear to ear. On a very hot summer day in Madagascar, the seven-year-old wears his shirt open, revealing a small surgical scar just above his left collarbone. He wears the scar proudly, a symbol of where he has been and where he is going. “I want to be...
Sayoe never imagined she would be greeted with anything except joy when she gave birth to her first child. But when baby Mohammed was born with a cleft lip and palate, people accused her of witchcraft, saying that her baby’s deformity was a curse. Despite being...
Go down two flights of stairs on the Africa Mercy, and you’ll find you’ve stepped out of a ship and into a busy buzzing hospital. On the wards you’ll find kids playing, doctors praying, patients visiting, and plenty of African music. One would expect that a...
When Mafoudiya was born, her mother, Mabinty, was unable to truly enjoy her child’s bright eyes or sweet smile because of the worry that consumed her. Her daughter was born with a cleft lip, and the family had little access to medical help.Due to Mafoudiya’s cleft...
“He’s doing much better than yesterday,” Nick remarks, as he gently inclines five-year-old Lucrech’s thumb toward the pointer finger. Nick is Lucrech’s physiotherapist onboard the Africa Mercy, and they have been spending a half hour together every day since his...