First VVF Patients
The beginning of Spring marks new life for Justine and Parra - the first women healed from Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) during the 2009 Field Service.
Those with VVF leak urine constantly, and as a result, are shunned by their communities and often their families, living in hiding and suffering from overwhelming shame and trauma.
Parra’s journey to the Africa Mercy from a far northern region in Benin demonstrated both desperate need and immense trust. A mother of three, Parra sustained the fistula during the birth of her third child, who survived the delivery and is now almost a year old. Parra speaks a tribal language unknown to any of the local volunteers that Mercy Ships employs as translators.
Despite difficulties communicating, she believed that God would watch over her. Her faith was rewarded, as she was healed and was able to sing a song of thanksgiving to the doctors and nurses.
Justine delivered four healthy children, but her fifth child died during a long, complicated delivery, causing a fistula to develop. Justine had been hiding inside her home for the entire nine years since. “Every day, I was very tired, ashamed, and people laughed at me,” Justine said.
She heard about Mercy Ships because her sister had surgery with Mercy Ships a few years ago. She came onboard the Africa Mercy, and only a week later, she was healed and ready to go home. “I have so much to thank God for, that God has delivered me and that the doctors have worked very well,” Justine said.
Performing the surgeries for Justine and Parra were two surgeons experienced in the trauma of VVF, Dr Steve Arrowsmith and Dr Sa’ad Idris of Nigeria.
Dr Arrowsmith is a long-time Mercy Ships volunteer and has performed over 10,000 VVF repairs, while Dr Idris is a surgeon who has performed over 3,000 fistula repairs and is specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Dr Idris spent two weeks being mentored by Dr Arrowsmith onboard the Africa Mercy. “In Africa, if one wants to be a doctor one must be exposed to all the different disciplines,” Dr Idris said. “When you start working, you might be the only doctor in a general hospital. So you are likely to do as many things as possible, but you might not be a specialist in that.”
“This is the best place where one will actually learn skills as they are supposed to be learned regarding VVF,” Dr. Idris said. “I am really urging whosoever is involved about training personnel in VVF, to please keep it up. We are calling on the Mercy Ship management to send more people from Africa to come here and learn now to repair vesico-vaginal fistula.”
“Everybody is working hard,” Dr. Idris remarked of the work of Mercy Ships. “It is a wonderful experience, and I think it is probably one of the best times of my life.”