A three-year-old girl has been saved by doctors who removed a tumour in her neck the size of her face. Little Umu, from Sierra Leone in West Africa, was born with a lump on her neck and as she got older, it became bigger. Her mum Yei lived in fear that the tumour would grow so much that it would eventually suffocate her daughter....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Over the years, Yei could not get help to treat Umu as there were no head, face or neck surgeons in the country. The mum was almost running out of hope as the cancer was threatening the girl’s airway and making it harder for her to eat.
Umu’s neck tumour grew to almost the same size as her face. But she finally saw a lifeline when she heard the charity Mercy Ships was visiting Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, to offer free surgery and medical training in one of its hospital ships. They took Umu’s treatment on and the risky surgery went well – saving the tot’s life.
Yei said: “[When Umu was born] I was afraid to see the tumour on her face. 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, she was devastated.
The girl pictured with ward nurse Maddy Hartung. Mercy Ships Surgeon volunteer Dr Gary Parker said that without surgery Um “was at very high risk of suffocation with continued growth of the tumour.” In 2022, Dr Parker removed Umu’s benign tumour in a risky surgery, and luckily it was successful thanks to Mercy Ships.
The Global Mercy arrived in Freetown in August to begin Mercy Ships’ sixth visit to Sierra Leone, delivering maxillofacial surgery, general, paediatric specialised general, orthopaedic, reconstructive plastics, and ophthalmology until June 2024.
Mercy Ships International Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mark Shrime, said: “Millions of parents and families need safe, timely, and affordable surgical and anesthetic care for their loved ones.
“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.”
Doctors saved Umu’s life. 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 per cent – nearly one in five children- has 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 of 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 able to get life-saving treatment…CONTINUE READING>>
