Mercy Ships doctors perform life-saving surgery on Sierra Leone infant
A 10-month-old baby in Sierra Leone has been given a second chance at life after surgeons aboard the Global Mercy performed a delicate operation to remove a life-threatening tumor. The child, named Memunatu, arrived unable to properly swallow, eat, speak, or cry as the tumor rapidly threatened her airway and survival.
Doctors in Sierra Leone had referred the family multiple times, unable to offer a solution. That changed when Mercy Ships volunteer Anne-Marie van Tonder encountered the family and connected them with the hospital ship in Freetown, where British maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Leo Cheng immediately recognized the urgency of the case.
Mercy Ships mission delivers life-saving care thousands cannot access
Dr. Cheng, who has served with Mercy Ships for two decades, confirmed that the tumor was not cancerous but posed escalating danger. With two-thirds of the world lacking access to safe, affordable, and timely surgery, cases like Memunatu’s remain common — and too often fatal.
“Without the surgery, her condition would have continued to worsen,” Dr. Cheng said. “It could have become life-threatening.”
The operation required precise coordination due to the infant’s compromised airway, with surgeons carefully removing the mass millimeter by millimeter.
A second chance at life brings renewed hope to a family
After the procedure and recovery, swelling subsided and Memunatu’s face emerged free from obstruction — bringing visible relief to her family and medical staff.
Dr. Cheng emphasized the broader impact of the mission, saying restoring physical appearance and function restores acceptance, dignity, and hope for patients too often marginalized or stigmatized by visible medical conditions.
