The Children

Name:  Ama Date of Birth:  24th March 2001 Date of Contact:  July 2011 Location:  Nungua, Ghana Condition:  Tumour of both jaws Operation:  Ama had the first maxillofacial surgery for the facial tumour at Korle-Bu hospital in Accra, Ghana in Nov 2011. The second debulking took place in June 2013. Current Needs & Updates:  We knew Ama would…

Name:  Gift Date of Birth:  7th July 2005 Date of Contact:  May 2011 Location:  Malawi Condition:  Tracheal stenosis (severe narrowing of the airway – such that he has needed a permanent tracheostomy to be able to breathe). People can cope with tracheostomies for a short while without any problems, but when used for extended periods…

Name:  Issa Date of Birth: Date of Contact:  February 2011 Location:  Northern Cameroon Condition:  Imperforate anus (a congenital condition where by the anus does not form an opening onto the skin). Operation:  Several stages of surgery and a stoma prior to complete correction. Current Needs:  All the stages of Issa’s surgery went well and he is now back home growing…

Name:  Hassaniye Date of Birth:  1st February 2006 Date of Contact:  2011 Location:  N’Djamena, Chad Condition:  Facial neurofibroma tumour Operation:  In early December 2012, Hassaniye finally had surgery in Cameroon for debulking of a facial neurofibroma tumour. She seems to be recovering well.

Name:  Marcel Date of Birth:  1999 Date of Contact:  February 2011 Location:  Northern Cameroon Condition:  Heart valve defect and cardiac failure Operation:  Marcel went into kidney failure before his surgery, Willing and Abel arranged for him to have dialysis to try and help him be fit enough for surgery but sadly his condition deteriorated and he died.

Name:  Chisomo Date of Birth:  5th January 2011 Date of Contact:  January 2011 Location:  Malawi Condition:  Frontonasal encephalocele – a failure of fusion of part of the skull allowing the meninges (brain covering) to bulge out. Operation:  Chisomo was transferred from Lilongwe to Blantyre for a MRI scan, in Blantyre a visiting surgeon was able to do…

Name:  Namina Date of Birth:  2006 Date of Contact:  January 2011 Location:  Sierra Leone Condition:  Noma Operation:  Namina has had two reconstruction surgeries onboard Mercy Ships in 2011. Current Needs:  Sandra Lako of Welibodi children’s centre in Freetown made sure Namina was nuritionally well for her operations and has been monitoring her progress since.

Name:  Afi Date of Birth:  1991 Date of Contact:  June 2010 Location:  Togo Condition:  Afi has a large facial neurofibroma (tumour of the nerve). Operation:  She requires several operations to remove the tumour. Current Needs:  She has had one surgery onboard the Mercy Ship and will have further surgery in 2012 when the ship returns to Togo.

Name:  Tani Date of Birth:  1999 Date of Contact:  June 2010 Location:  Togo Condition:  Tani suffered severe burns as a baby – she was fortunate to survive. Operation:  Needs several stages of surgery, she has had one surgery onboard the mercy ship. Current Needs:  She will have further surgery in 2012 when the ship returns to Togo.

Name:  Aboubakar Date of Birth:  6th May 2005 Date of Contact:  June 2010 Location:  Northern Cameroon Condition:  Oesophageal stricture (severe narrowing of the oesophagus after swallowing acid – aboubakar was unable to eat and he became dangerously underweight). Operation:  Aboubakar was transferred to Grey’s hospital Pietermarizburg South Africa for gastric pull-up surgery. Current Needs:  He has fully recovered from surgery,…