Grace

This month story is written by Catherine Murphy one of the ship writers, and I have added a few medical details and personal reflections at the very end. I have chosen this story because it typifies why I do what I do and have chosen to serve with Mercy Ships. Grace was one of our first patients up the gangway in Congo. On September 10th, we removed the massive tumor from her face. It’s been several weeks since her surgery, but 17-year-old Grace is as sassy as ever – and she’s looking like a whole new young woman. “God is good because He did a big thing for me. I did not believe that I could be saved, but God has had grace. Mercy Ships arrived in Pointe Noire, they treated me, and I am better today,” Grace says. Grace’s journey to the Africa Mercy began with an email. A hospital chaplain from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo met Grace at a hospital there. The chaplain, Pastor Gregoire, was shocked by Grace’s facial tumor, which weighed 4.9 pounds (2.2 kilos.) Pastor Gregoire came alongside Grace, counseling and praying with her. He says she was often so distraught that she cried all night. Sometimes she refused to eat or drink. “Indeed, she suffered,” he says simply. Pastor Gregoire took a photo of Grace and published it on his blog. A reader responded to his post, recommending that he visit mercyships.org, an organization that might be able to help. From there, Pastor Gregoire contacted the Mercy Ships Swiss office and exchanged emails with Christophe Baer. Through Christophe, Pastor Gregoire sent Grace’s medical records and reports to the Africa Mercy. The response was positive. Grace and Pastor Gregoire were asked to arrive in Pointe Noire, in the Republic of Congo, on September 2nd. Grace’s story is a chain of mercy forged by compassionate hearts, and their efforts were rewarded. She has been recovering in the Mercy Ships Hospital Out Patient Extension Center (HOPE Center), where she has become the champion UNO player. As Mercy Ships nurses will tell you, Grace dominates every hand – and don’t even think about challenging her to Jenga! Grace’s tumour was involving her jaw bone, so the first surgery (hemimandibulectomy) removed the tumour and replaced the jaw bone with a metal titanium plate. Three months later the second stage of the surgery takes some bone from the hip and puts it around the metal plate. The bone they grafts onto the metal and gives the jaw back it’s shape. This procedure is called an ‘iliac crest bone graft’. It is done three months after the original surgery to allow the mouth wounds to heal and to reduce the chances of infection in the new bone graft. Grace had this procedure (her second operation) just before Christmas. And she is recovering well on the ward and always says ‘hello Dr Michelle’ whenever I walk by. She is a very happy lady who brings joy and hope to the ward and the other patients. Near Grace’s bed lies, Angelique. Angelique is 22 years old and has a large tumor, rather like Grace, but Angelique’s tumour is coming from her cheek bone (maxilla) instead of the jaw bone (manidible). In a few days we will operate on Angelique and Grace will be discharged. This is why we are here. This is what I have spent the last two years doing. Someone once said, ‘transformed people, transform nations’. In another month, Grace will return home and begin school. She wants to be a nurse. May she go on to do that and transform many others people’s lives through what she does.