Alisain is a little 2 year old boy who has been with us for quite a while. He had a cleft lip repaired and is now blooming. All his wound is healed, and he is now just here with Mama as what we call a 'Hotel patient'. All care is finished but mama's cousin is still in with her baby, and can't speak much English, so Alisain and his mum are staying to help out with the continuing care of her little one.
As you may know, we start each of our shifts with a prayer time and Wednesday was no different. Often when we group together little bodies appear out of nowhere and crawl into our laps. they are generally very well behaved and join in with heart felt 'Amens' at the end.
Alisain was parked on the floor near to the nurses, with his bowl of 'soft diet' corn starch mash (very appealing!!) and like any child might do, he was enjoying playing and mashing it about in his bowl. Let me let you in on a bit of Alisain's personality. When he first arrived he was scared to death of white people and pretty much any procedure sounded like we were going to murder the poor child. However, he has now become a little bit of a monkey, schooching out the door when people aren't looking and running full pelt into any of the nurses he vaguely recognises for hugs and tickles. Quite frankly a bit of a tinker!! He has also since arriving on the ward learnt the words 'Hi' and 'Bye' and continuously runs back and forth just so he can wave hi and bye.
Whilst we were praying he noticed what we were doing, and decided he would join in. His hands covered in mash he closed his eyes and put on a very serious face. Both Ali and I spotted his little antics and caught his eye a few times, he gave a huge cheeky grin as he peeked through one eye and then quickly put back on his serious face again. This went on for 10 minutes or so, and was hilarious!!
To top it off at the end of our prayer time he shouts a big 'Amen' and then giggles furiously, gets up and starts running around again in a too big hospital gown covered in flip flops...
please note: I was endeavouring to pay attention to the prayers too...!!
The Blog of Grace Berry, 26 year old nurse from Birmingham, working onboard a mercy ship in Liberia
Where I'm situated
The ship is moored in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa.
Mercy Ships
Blog Archive
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2008
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June
(20)
- Firestone Rubber Plantation
- Feeling the pressure...and other musings
- The raft pictures...
- By the River after church at GSBC
- GSBC photos
- One of my African outfits!
- Trip to GSBC and me in my African outfit!
- A Sunday out
- Jitter Bug before her operation
- Feeding programme and Jitta Bug
- John and David Smith
- Alisain
- Baby Powder
- Adwina...
- A duvet day...
- Inspired by Play-Doh
- Orphanage building
- Missionaries of Charity visit
- Sorry it's been a while!
- This is a horrible day.
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June
(20)
Who are Mercy Ships?
Mercy ships is a Christian organization which has been close to my heart for many years. Their focus is on the 'forgotten poor' and on providing health care and surgery, that in the western world is readily available, but in the places they serve is a luxury that the people cannot afford.
The main way help is given is through the use of ships which have been converted into hospitals.
Volunteer staff (like me!) live and work on board to keep the ship running, and to run theatres where people who come to the ship receive vtal surgical equipment. Procedures range from minor surgery such as cataract surgery to more major surgery; cleft pallet repair, tumour removal and and repairal of damage caued in childbirth.
Communities are served, often from hundres of miles around, bringing those served back from isolation, and, in many cases prevent early and unnecessary deaths.
Since 1978 Mercy ships have:
- performed more than 32,500 surgeries.
- treated more than 212,000 people
- performed more than 183,00 dental treatments
- taught over 14,500 local health care and professional workers
- taught 95,000 local people in primary health care
I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.
The main way help is given is through the use of ships which have been converted into hospitals.
Volunteer staff (like me!) live and work on board to keep the ship running, and to run theatres where people who come to the ship receive vtal surgical equipment. Procedures range from minor surgery such as cataract surgery to more major surgery; cleft pallet repair, tumour removal and and repairal of damage caued in childbirth.
Communities are served, often from hundres of miles around, bringing those served back from isolation, and, in many cases prevent early and unnecessary deaths.
Since 1978 Mercy ships have:
- performed more than 32,500 surgeries.
- treated more than 212,000 people
- performed more than 183,00 dental treatments
- taught over 14,500 local health care and professional workers
- taught 95,000 local people in primary health care
I serve with Mercy Ships. Everything here, however, is my personal opinion and is not read or approved before it is posted. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Mercy Ships.
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