By Ayomide Otitoju
A life-changing surgery aboard Global Mercy, a state-of-the-art hospital ship, has restored hope to a young Sierra Leonean girl, Memunatu, who was battling a massive tumor on her neck that made it nearly impossible for her to eat, speak, or even cry.
Her mother, Aminata, had sought help from several doctors without success until a chance encounter with a Mercy Ships volunteer, Anne-Marie van Tonder, in Freetown changed their lives forever. Moved by compassion, van Tonder connected the family with Global Mercy, where Memunatu was placed under the care of Dr. Leo Cheng, a maxillofacial surgeon from the United Kingdom.
Dr. Cheng, who has volunteered with Mercy Ships for over 20 years, quickly identified the severity of the case. Although the tumor was not cancerous, he explained that it posed serious risks to Memunatu’s survival. “Without the surgery, her condition would have continued to worsen. It could have become life-threatening,” he said.
Globally, about five billion people—two-thirds of the world’s population—lack access to safe, affordable, and timely surgical care, resulting in preventable deaths every two seconds. Studies, including one published in The Lancet Oncology, have shown that delays in surgical intervention for benign tumors can lead to severe health complications, social stigma, and psychological trauma, particularly in regions with limited healthcare access.
Determined to prevent such a future for Memunatu, Dr. Cheng led a complex, high-risk operation that required meticulous coordination among the surgical and nursing teams. “With every single millimeter, I was estimating, calculating, and trying to prevent any bleeding. It went very slowly, but very positively,” he recalled.
When the swelling finally subsided after surgery, the transformation was remarkable. Memunatu’s radiant face was visible again, and her once-pained eyes shone with joy.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Cheng emphasized the deeper significance of the mission: “Every surgery like this reminds us that access to safe surgery is not a luxury, but essential. When we restore someone’s face, we restore their humanity, their acceptance, and their hope.”
