Celebrating our Nurses
Mercy Ships celebrated International Nurses Day on 12th May in recognition of more than 20,000 nurses who have volunteered with Mercy Ships in the last 30 years.
One such nurse is Julia Smith (28) a ward nurse from Sheffield who is currently in Togo volunteering on board the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest charity hospital ship.
Julia said: “Being a ward nurse on the Africa Mercy is very different to being a ward nurse at home. Volunteering is a very humbling experience and one that I treasure.
"I have been able to use my skills as a nurse to help and really change the lives of so many needy people who normally would not be able to afford medical care and consequently let their ailments go untreated. I have been able to treat conditions that we would not usually be presented with in the UK and this has developed my skills as a nurse but has also affected me personally.
“I was surprised at how sophisticated the facilities are onboard. We have six operating theatres including an opthalmic theatre, x-ray facilities, laboratories, and even a CT scanner.
“One patient that I have been helping onboard the Africa Mercy is a seven-year-old little girl called Aicha. Aicha was abandoned by her parents due to her facial tumour and a condition she has called Noma, a gangrenous disease leading to tissue destruction of the face.
"Aicha is a sweet and strong willed girl who would have been left to die had her adoptive parents not brought her to the Africa Mercy. Aicha has received facial reconstructive surgery for the tumour on her face and we are treating the Noma. It is a long process but already the change in her is dramatic. Working and helping people with conditions such as Aicha’s is very rewarding and an experience I will never forget.”
Judy Polkinhorn, Executive Director of Mercy Ships UK, said: “Mercy Ships simply would not be able to carry on with the work that we do if not for the dedicated nurses that give up their time every year and volunteer. Mercy Ships requires around 750 nurses to volunteer each year and the dedication and commitment of those nurses who volunteer is admired and cherished. We would like to thank each one for all their hard work.”