FREETOWN, Sierra Leone -- When 10-month-old Memunatu was brought aboard the Global Mercy™, her life hung in the balance. A massive tumor had engulfed her neck, making it nearly impossible for her to eat, swallow, or even cry. Her mother, Aminata, had sought help from several doctors across Sierra Leone -- but all had told her nothing could be done. That changed when she met a volunteer nurse from South Africa who connected her to Mercy Ships, the international faith-based organization known for delivering free surgical care across Africa.
At the center of this extraordinary story is Dr. Leo Cheng, a British maxillofacial surgeon who has volunteered with Mercy Ships for over two decades. Upon examining Memunatu's scans, Dr. Cheng determined that while the tumor was not cancerous, it posed an immediate threat to her airway and her survival. "Without the surgery, her condition would have continued to worsen," he said. "It could have become life-threatening."
The delicate operation required careful coordination between surgeons, anesthetists, and nurses on board the Global Mercy™, the world's largest civilian hospital ship. Because the baby's airway was already compromised, intubation and anesthesia presented serious risks. "With every single millimeter, I was estimating, calculating, and trying to prevent any bleeding," Dr. Cheng recalled. "It went very slowly, but very positively."
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When the surgery ended and the swelling subsided, the results were remarkable. For the first time in her young life, little Memunatu could breathe, eat, and smile freely. "Every surgery like this reminds us that access to safe surgery is not a luxury, but essential," Dr. Cheng said. "When we restore someone's face, we restore their humanity, their acceptance, and their hope."
The case underscores a broader global crisis in surgical care. According to the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, roughly 5 billion people--nearly two-thirds of the world's population--lack access to safe, affordable, and timely surgical treatment. The consequences are staggering: one person dies every two seconds from a preventable condition that could have been treated surgically. In many African communities, delays in surgery not only worsen medical outcomes but also lead to social stigma and isolation, especially when physical deformities are mistaken for spiritual afflictions.
Dr. Cheng's work, and that of Mercy Ships' international volunteers, is part of a sustained effort to change that reality. Each year, more than 2,500 professionals from over 60 countries serve aboard the Africa Mercy® and Global Mercy™, performing thousands of free surgeries and training local health professionals. For more than 30 years, Mercy Ships has partnered exclusively with African nations to strengthen healthcare systems and expand access to essential surgical services.
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Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships operates as a global network with offices in 16 countries and an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. Its mission is simple yet profound: to bring hope and healing to the world's most vulnerable populations through compassion, skill, and partnership.
