When Ifaliana was a baby, nothing seemed to soothe her when she started crying. Her mother, Nirina, remembers trying everything.
“I breastfed her, but she kept crying,” she recalled. “Then I said to myself, ‘I will get some water.’”
She placed her in a basin and the crying stopped almost immediately. “She was full of joy in it,” Nirina said. “Sometimes she even fell asleep in it.”
From that moment on, one thing was clear: Ifaliana loved water, it soothed her. She grew up swimming, but as she got older, something began to change in the way she experienced the water.
Ifaliana was born with an umbilical hernia. By the time she was nine, she had begun to face challenges. Children would tease her for the bulge on her stomach.
The hernia also interrupted many of her daily activities. When she dressed in the morning, she used a cloth to bind the hernia so that it was not noticeable through her clothes. Even eating had to be thought out. She ate carefully because if her stomach was too full, it put pressure on the hernia and caused pain.
It was in the water that the impact was felt most. Swimming, the thing she loved most, was never simple. Swimsuits made it difficult to hide the bulge, and moments that should have brought her joy often turned into discomfort.
“If my belly button isn’t well hidden, I feel very embarrassed. I feel self-conscious around my friends. I mean, to everyone actually. I feel so ashamed, even though all I want is to swim.”
At the pool, what should have been freedom became something to manage. She adjusted her swimsuit, stayed aware of how it sat, and paid attention to who was watching. “She spent her time hiding her condition instead of really focusing on swimming,” Nirina said.
Receiving Care
When Nirina heard that the Africa Mercy® was coming to Madagascar, she did not hesitate. She traveled to meet the Patient Selection Team, holding on to the hope that her daughter might finally be free from the condition that had shaped and limited much of her childhood.
After screening, the team told them that Ifaliana could receive free surgery. On board, she underwent a successful procedure to repair the hernia.
Afterward, Ifaliana placed her hand gently over her bandaged belly, feeling the change for herself.
“My hope after the surgery is to feel confident and to swim freely without having to hide it anymore,” she said.
A few days later, Ifaliana was beginning to look ahead to life beyond the hospital.
“Today, my health is perfect. It’s no longer like before, because now I’m no longer ashamed. The children won’t tease me anymore. And soon we’ll be going home, and I’m already healed,” she said.
She looked forward to returning to a swimming pool, this time without the insecurity that had once followed her into the water.
Access to safe surgery can change a child’s life. Join us in helping more children like Ifaliana receive the care they need. Learn how you can be part of this mission.
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