A 14-year-old girl from Sierra Leone is free to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor after having a benign facial tumour removed by international health charity, Mercy Ships.
Without the timely surgery, the tumour would have continued to grow to the point of causing airway obstructions, and ultimately, death by suffocation.
Source: www.mercyships.org.uk
SCRIPT:
Lucy
I love to study
My favorite subject is mathematics.
Aminata – Teacher
She likes helping people. If you go to the stream and you met her there you are doing your washing or whatever she will help. That’s Lucy.
Lucy
When I was four years old my tooth started aching. It was hurting me until the tooth came out after that it started swelling. It kept growing bigger
Aminata
When she was in class, some of the kids would say I don’t like her because of this tumor and were staying away from her
Lucy
I was closest to my teachers. We played together. They were my best friends because my friends used to push me away when I went to play with them.
Fatumata – Teacher
I have empathy for her, really. Because if she was my child I would not want her to be like that.
Dr Didier-David Malis – Volunteer Surgeon
Without any surgery then the mass would have become bigger and bigger. Ultimately, she certainly would have experienced swallowing difficulties getting food in her body as well as airway obstruction. And that probably would have ultimately led to her death by suffocation, which is something we never wish anybody.
Lucy
I have never seen a ship like this before that looks like this big ship
Jeri Harper – Volunteer Nurse
So Lucy was actually the first pediatric patients that I took care of here. You know, she’s funny. She’s the first person that ever got me up dancing at work, because when she wanted you to do something, you did it. I don’t know how that happens. But you did.
Lucy
Why did I love to work with Jeri. Because we were friends. That is why I love to work with her.
Jeri
And the people here, including Lucy, they see it as my life just started. Let’s let’s celebrate that let’s have a good time, because look at everything that’s going to happen for me now. I think now she can do whatever she wants. I think she can do anything. And I think she knows it.
Lucy
When I was discharged from the hospital, once I arrived home, I went to visit my friends first and I visited all of them
As soon as the kids saw the vehicle. “Ohh she’s here!” People were just jubilating we were very happy by then. Well I think there is a hope. Seeing Lucy now it is much better.
That’s why we use Ubuntu. I cannot be happy if the people around me are not happy. But when everyone around me is happy, I’m happy. So when Lucy’s happy, we’re all happy in class. And we are so happy to have her she is wonderful.
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