Merryl has returned from Benin, West Africa, after three weeks of voluntary service onboard the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship Africa Mercy, operated by the international Christian charity Mercy Ships. It was her third such time of service. She spent three weeks in Ghana in 2007 with Mercy Ships, and nearly a month last year in Liberia. Then and now, she paid her own way to get there and back, as well as paying crew fees for accommodation and food, all helping to defray costs of operating the ship.
"Once those around me heard of the life changing surgeries and the stories of healing taking place in these countries, which are among the world's poorest, they were extremely encouraging and supportive. I work at the Mater Private Hospital at Cleveland, where co-workers, the hospital auxiliary, some of the surgeons and management helped financially through donations, making cakes for morning teas and raffles. I have also had opportunities to speak at churches and other groups on my previous work with Mercy Ships."
"I heard of the work from a long serving volunteer fistula surgeon, Dr Judith Goh, and have had an interest in cross cultural mission work for a long time. My husband and I spend six years with Mission Aviation Fellowship during the 1980s in Papua New Guinea and Central Australia. Now that my family are grown, I was looking for opportunities to use my nursing skills to help other others on a short-term basis.
"So I made the long trip from Brisbane to Benin. The flight was via Singapore, Dubai, Paris and on to Cotonou in Benin. The return trip was by the same route, very tiring and very expensive. But all of that is worth it once you have seen the smiles on the faces of patients and their families following a range of surgeries to correct disability, deformity and blindness. While I worked in the operating theatres, of which there are six on the Africa Mercy, more than 400 volunteers from around the world were involved in a wide range of medical and community development projects, all aimed at helping to bring hope and healing."
One of the areas of surgery in which I was involved aimed to repair obstetric fistulas in women, resulting from prolonged or difficult childbirth, in most cases also resulting in the death of the baby. "Girls are married very young in many African nations. That factor, along with poor antenatal care, poor health and often stunted growth due to poor nutrition, combined with very long labour up to 3-4 days with tribal birth attendants, often results in post birth fistulas and incontinence. Most of these women are then rejected by their family and husband, they are unable to work and frequently ostracized by their village community."
"Following successful repair surgery to make them 'dry', special dress ceremonies are held onboard. There is with much singing and dancing by the women who have been given a new set of colourful clothing to signify their new start in life. I remember one woman who told us she had been 'wet' since her first pregnancy in 1980 – that was the year I was married. I just could not imagine how those years had been for her, ostracized, wasted and childless. I had tears in my eyes listening to her story. Now three operations later, this woman was 'dry'. She was not thinking of the wasted years. She was joyful about her future, singing and dancing with years of joy in her eyes. It was so amazing."
"Another highlight involved a six-year-old girl who had a big tumour about the size of an orange on her face. The tumour pushed her left eye out. She was accompanied to the ship by her grandmother who was very anxious. Surgery took six hours. Later I went to recovery and grandma was sitting with this little girl. She came to me smiling and hugging me and getting me to dance with her. I could not understand a word she said, but her face shone with joy and thankfulness. The work being done in the countries of West Africa by Mercy Ships volunteers is amazing," Merryl concludes.
Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. Following the example of Jesus, Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the poor, mobilizing people and resources worldwide. The emphasis is on the needs of the world's poorest nations in West Africa, where the hospital ship Africa Mercy provides the platform for services extending up to ten months at a time. Mercy Ships works on land-based projects in Sierra Leone in partnership with other organisations, while teams also work in several nations of Central America and the Caribbean. Mercy Ships Australia, one of 14 international support offices is based on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. www.mercyships.org.au