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Mercy Ships Recognizes International Day of the African Child
Story of 10 year-old boy demonstrates hope for African Children
Mercy Ships, a global hospital ship charity that provides free medical care to
thousands of the world’s poorest people in Africa, celebrates International Day of
the African Child by telling one patient's story.
International Day of the African Child
pays tribute to the courageous ten
thousand black African school
children, who marched the streets of
Soweto in 1976 in protest against the
poor quality of their education. It is
also a day to promote the education,
identity, welfare, status and other civil
rights of children in Africa.
Millions of children in Africa suffer at
the hands of poverty, as well as a
lack of access to medical care.
Forgotten and deprived, many
perish.
The volunteers working onboard the
Africa Mercy –the world’s largest
charity hospital ship - offer those
children hope and the opportunity to
lead a full life. |
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Two years ago, 10 year-old Benedict
Menkoah discovered how Mercy
Ships can transform the life of a child.Benedict was born with bi-lateral clubbed
feet, a condition which saw his feet turn so far inwards that his toes were facing
each other. His feet also rolled forward leaving his soles facing upwards.
Although Benedict learned how to walk
on the curled-under tops of his feet he
was teased by his peers and
abandoned by his parents. Isolated
and outcast, Benedict’s sister who is
also his caregiver, found Mercy Ships
and in July 2007 his life took a turn for
the better.
Mercy Ships gave Benedict free
corrective surgery on his right foot
onboard the Africa Mercy in Liberia and this May he returned for his second and
final operation to have his left foot straightened. Each surgery took two and a
half hours.
Benedict’s story is one of a
little boy with dreams and
ambitions, who wanted to be
a doctor when he grew up but
was physically and mentally
unable to live a normal life
due to his condition. |
Mercy
Ships changed that for him.
No longer shy and
introverted, Benedict is now a
confident little boy with the
chance he deserves to grow
up and become an educated
adult and hopefully a doctor.
Dr. Doug Armstrong, a
volunteer surgeon with Mercy
Ships who helped treat
Benedict onboard the Africa
Mercy, said, “Benedict is a
remarkable boy and his story
is truly humbling. Benedict’s
only hope to lead a normal
life was corrective surgery.
His condition was extreme
and it takes a very strong
individual to not only
overcome the surgery, but
learn to walk all over again.
Benedict showed that
strength in bucket loads by
combating physical and
mental battles. The smile on
his face has stuck in my mind
and reminds me every day
why I am here.”
Since the Africa Mercy arrived in Liberia this past February, more than 2000 of
the more than 10,000 procedures have benefitted children with little access to
healthcare like Benedict This includes reconstructive/plastic surgeries (head
and neck tumors, burn contractures, cleft lip-plate, hernias and skin grafts), eye
surgeries (cataract, strabismus, pterygium and evisceration),
orthopaedic (including club feet, fractures) and dental assessment and
treatments.
“This generation is the future hope of Africa,” stated Mark Thompson, VP of
International Programs for Mercy Ships. “Our repetitive visits to African countries
allow us to do multiple follow up surgeries, just as Benedict benefitted from two
ship visits to have each foot operated on separately. Our surgeries are not our
only provision for children. Mercy Ships community health services are based on
meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as agreed upon by the
world community to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health.”
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Note to Editors:
1. Mercy Ships, a global charity, is the leader in using hospital ships to deliver free world-class healthcare and community development services. Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor, mobilising people and resources worldwide.
2. The story of Mercy Ships is told in Ships of Mercy, published by Hodder & Stoughton UK and Thomas Nelson US and is available at: www.shipsofmercy.org
3. AFRICA MERCY – FACTS
- · Formerly ‘Droning Ingrid’
- · 16,572 tonnes
- · 474 berths for crew
- · 78 bed ward
- · 6 operating theatres
- · X-ray room
- · CT scanner
- · Dental clinic
- · Pharmacy
- · School – up to 60 pupils
- · Length: 499 feet
- · Breadth: 78 feet
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