A little girl’s life was saved by doctors who removed a neck tumor the size of her face that was suffocating her.
Little Umu, 3, was born with a lump on her neck that grew as she got older.
Umu’s mother, Yei, couldn’t get help to treat her daughter as there wasn’t a single maxillofacial surgeon in her home country of Sierra Leone.
Yei lived in fear that her daughter’s fast-growing tumor would one day suffocate her.
By the age of 3, Umu’s tumor was threatening her airway and making it harder for her to eat—and Yei was running out of hope.
Until she heard international charity Mercy Ships was visiting Freetown to offer free surgery and medical training in one of its hospital ships.
They took on Umu’s treatment, and the risky surgery went well—saving the tiny tot’s life.
“[When Umu was born] I was afraid to see the tumor on her face,” Yei said. "People would ask so many questions about what was wrong with Umu.
“I didn’t have answers because I didn’t know either.
“I feared Umu would die.
“Now, I feel like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.”
While she was pregnant, Yei had no ultrasound and no reason to think her baby would be born anything but healthy.
When she first saw the lump on her baby’s face and neck at birth, the mom was devastated.
The tumor continued to grow and Yei sought help from every hospital she could, but without a single head, face, and neck surgeon in the country, her efforts were in vain.
The Children’s Hospital in Freetown helped Umu and Yei, but despite their care and support, no one could perform the procedure.
The tumor continued to grow, threatening the little girl’s life, and Yei feared the worst.
Nine out of 10 people living in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to safe, affordable surgical care when they need it, according to the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery.
A survey of four low-income countries, including Sierra Leone, showed that around 19 percent of children—nearly one in five—have a surgically treatable condition.
Of these children, 62 percent have at least one unmet need—that is 3.7 million children living with a constant need for surgery that cannot be met in their country.
Without it, they face death or a long-term disability—but Umu was one of the rare lucky ones who was able to get life-saving treatment.
Yei heard the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy, was visiting Sierra Leone to offer free surgery and medical training.
Mercy Ships surgeon volunteer Dr. Gary Parker said that without surgery Umu was at very high risk of suffocation.
In 2022, Dr. Parker removed Umu’s benign tumor in a risky surgery.
The Global Mercy arrived in Freetown in August to begin Mercy Ships’ sixth visit to Sierra Leone, delivering maxillofacial surgery, general, pediatric specialized general, orthopedic, reconstructive plastics, and ophthalmology until June 2024.
“Millions of parents and families need safe, timely, and affordable surgical and anesthetic care for their loved ones,“ said Dr. Mark Shrime, Mercy Ships international chief medical officer. ”Without it, they face death or a long-term disability.
“We are working proactively with governments across sub-Saharan Africa to identify and help fill the gaps in surgical care.
“Our structured plans focus on strengthening surgical care systems by investing in healthcare professionals, the infrastructure, the equipment, and the systems needed to have lasting impact on the nations that host us.”
