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| Ramatu before surgery |
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| Ramatu after surgery |
Ramatu Koroma
“They called me a witch!” said Ramatu, raising her voice in a mixture of anger and despair. “They ran from me because they said I was demon-possessed!”
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| Ramatu recovers 4 weeks after surgery |
The growth that encompassed her nose and mouth greatly distorted her features, making speaking an effort. This very gentle woman explained that the problem started about ten years ago, right after the end of Sierra Leone’s civil war. A tiny boil began to grow on her nose. As it grew, both sides of her nose and her upper lip swelled. Because of this deformity, her husband abandoned her and their little daughter. Her friends were afraid they would “catch the sickness.” “Only my brother didn’t abandon me. All the rest disappeared,” she said sadly.
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| Ramatu 5 weeks after surgery |
She had been a farmer, selling her potatoes in the market. But people stopped buying from her. She was reduced to begging on the street to support herself and her daughter.At church, she used to collect the offering. “But I’m ashamed to do that now,” she said, with her head bowed. Sitting quietly and unobtrusively in the service became her habit.Then she heard people in her village talking about free surgeries offered by Mercy Ships in Freetown. A glimmer of hope flickered in her mind. Maybe … just maybe this was her chance to have a normal face. She summoned the courage to go to a medical screening and soon found herself in the hospital ward onboard the Africa Mercy.
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| Ramatu makes friends at the Hope Center where she recovers |
The volunteer surgeons removed the hideous growth, revealing the real Ramatu. When she saw her face in the mirror, a dramatic change of expression swept over her features. Even with the bandages, she could see that her face carried no trace of her shame. As the swelling from the surgery diminished, her features gradually returned to normal. No longer did she hang her head in shame. In fact, Ramatu smiled all the time! Her warm and loving personality flourished as she welcomed interaction with others.She recovered in the Mercy Ships HOPE Center, a facility conveniently located just a short distance from the ship. She returned to the Africa Mercy often for post-operative care. When the scars healed, she was released to return home. Ramatu had spent ten lonely years living in humiliation. Now, she had a bright future and was anxious to begin it. The many friends she made while in the care of Mercy Ships gave her a new self-confidence. Before leaving, they surrounded her with their loving good wishes. “The people in your village won’t know you,” they said. “It’s amazing! You look so beautiful!”
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| "I was in hiding, and now Mercy Ships has brought me out." |
“Mercy Ships has made me beautiful,” she said. “After the surgery, everybody is now thankful to God. They are all saying, ‘Ramatu, you are with God.’ I was in hiding, and now Mercy Ships has brought me out. I am comfortable with people. I am very much bold to face people. I am blessing God for Mercy Ships and praying that whatever you desire for Mercy Ships will come to pass. Thank you.”
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