Sahr is a 32-year-old police officer with a wife and 4-month-old baby boy. He was 20 years old when he noticed what looked like a boil, which would appear and disappear, in his lower stomach.
His late mother assured him that it was nothing to worry about. But it continued to grow larger and more painful, eventually becoming an obvious case of hernia.
The hernia often made Sahr feel sick as he experienced dizziness, headaches, and extreme pain.
“Hernias are basically a hole in your abdominal wall, and some of your organs can be forced through that hole and that hurts. It also can interrupt the digestive system because those organs carry food and fluid through your body,” said Dr. Timothy Burandt, the Mercy Ships volunteer General Surgeon from the USA who eventually operated on Sahr.
“I think this problem was caused by the hard work I was doing when I was farming,” Sahr said, remembering his younger days as a farmer. He explained that the condition left him struggling to sit or eat due to the discomfort: “I was always complaining of sickness.”
Silenced By Fear
Despite living daily with pain, Sahr was nervous about medical interventions and refused to visit any hospital for treatment, having seen community members struggle with post-operative complications before. Instead, he relied on pain relief medications, as well as a herbal mixture locally called ‘gbangba,’ for temporary relief.
Then, his hope for safe surgery came alive when he learned about the return of the Global Mercy™ while on duty at his police station. He decided to register with the Mercy Ships patient selection team, marking the start of his journey to hope and healing.
An Extended Call for Safe Surgeries
The Global Mercy docked in Freetown from August 2023 to June 2024, during which time the crew performed 1,979 life-changing surgeries for 1,728 patients. Training was provided on board to 145 of the nation’s healthcare professionals and 3 PAACS residents, as well as 26 medical professionals off-ship. In response to an invitation from His Excellency, Julius Maada Bio, the President of Sierra Leone, the world’s largest purpose-built hospital ship returned to Freetown on August 14, 2024.
Dr. Sandra Lako, Country Director for Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, explained that despite the efforts of the government and the expanding surgical workforce, there is a huge unmet surgical need in the nation. “Together with the government … we can partner and work together to achieve their goal of safe surgery for every person in Sierra Leone,” she shared.
The Dawn of Transformation
When Sahr walked up the Global Mercy gangway, he didn’t imagine becoming the first patient of the field service. It took a whole community effort on board to prepare for patients, so on the day of his surgery – September 3, 2024 – there was growing excitement among the crew across the ship.
“We have done many, many things … installed completely new washing machines, so that we have perfectly clean and safe linens for our operating rooms. We have cleaned the entire hospital top to bottom. We have trained over 200 national volunteers, who will come on board every day to help us do the work,” shared Daniel Lauermann, the volunteer Managing Director from Germany.
“I am extremely excited that surgery is starting today. We have done everything humanly possible to ensure that all machinery is all running smoothly,” said Jacob Omoko, an Engine Rating volunteer from Nigeria.
“We’ve been preparing for this day. We’ve cleaned the OR multiple times, cleaned the sterilising department – opened all the trays, sterilised the instruments, all for this moment and it’s taken a whole team effort,” shared Sarah Burdette, the volunteer OR Manager from the USA.
For stewards of the Education, Training, and Advocacy (ETA) program, the start of surgeries also signals the start of on-ship mentoring for the nation’s healthcare providers. “For me as the ETA Admin Assistant, today is exciting because I’m a part of a team that will be supporting several healthcare workers that will be receiving mentoring,” Merilyn Phiri, a volunteer from Zambia, explained.
Hope and Healing Ignited
Before his surgery, Sahr shared the relief he felt at receiving long-awaited medical care on board. “[The hernia] has been in my body since five years back. I don’t have money to remove it from me. I’m feeling proud and so blessed. I am very happy because I know I am in safe hands.”
According to Dr. Burandt, “The hernias that we see in Africa tend to be larger and more complex because patients don’t have an opportunity to seek care and see doctors earlier on.” He further explained that hernias can be very debilitating. “They can interrupt the digestive system, and cause pain problems and inability to walk or work.”
Dr. Burandt explained that without the surgery, “Ultimately, this would get larger and more painful. It would get large enough and a piece of bowel would come through there, potentially twist on itself, strangle, and he could die from that.”
But thanks to safe surgery, Sahr’s hope of a better life devoid of pain was ignited after about an hour in the operating room on board.
“He will not have to think about this again. The chances of him having a recurrence are infinitesimally small. He can … get back to being a father and a brother and a son and his normal life,” Dr. Burandt shared.
Thanks to safe surgery, Sahr’s life of public service will be able to continue. He will now be able to eat his favourite meals, take care of his family without pain, and live free from fear of being mocked because of a hernia. His successful surgery is only the first of more than 1,400 surgeries expected to take place on board the Global Mercy during the 2024-2025 field service in Sierra Leone.
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