This little girl smiles bravely, even though she’s often in pain.
Two-year-old Selina giggles as she plays by the steps of our HOPE Centre. Her mum smiles lovingly at her.
Selina and her mum are so happy to be here. Because in a few days, Selina will have the surgery she’s needed since the day she was born.
Everyone has been so kind and have only shown love to her baby girl. No one has treated her as someone to be scared of, or shunned, because of her condition.
Selina was born with a painful umbilical hernia, a condition that occurs when part of the intestine sticks out through the muscles near the belly button.
Her mum, Mariama, said, “I don’t know how she got it. She was born with it.”
It kept growing every day. When she started walking, her mum took her to a hospital. Sadly, the hospital said she was too young for surgery. With no hope of treatment in sight, Selina continued to grow up with the hernia.
Hidden under her t-shirt, Selina’s hernia had grown to a large 6cm lump. Hernia pains for adults can be devastating, and the same was true for two-year-old Selina.
Her mum shared, “She has been struggling with the pain. She normally doesn’t come outside when it hurts too much.”
Sadly, Selina spent every day with a pain in her tummy, without knowing why, and without the treatment she needed. It was distressing for Mariama to see her child in pain. And this loving mum suffered in other ways too – she found it hard to work, cook, and carry out her daily duties like many mums in her village.
She explained, “When it pains her, it’s impossible to carry her on your back.”
Despite the pain she often experienced, little Selina has always been a delight to be around, with a beautiful smile.
Sheltering Selina from shame
Mariama fought to give Selina a happy childhood. But it was a struggle, because every time they left the house, Mariama was afraid of what people would say about her daughter.
“Most times, I used a bandage to cover the hernia when she went out, to stop people from mocking us,” said Mariama.
Despite her efforts, she continued to hear harsh comments from people around them.
Dr John Zwiacher, the Volunteer Surgeon who later operated on the toddler on board the Global Mercy, added that it’s common for children with umbilical hernias to face social stigma.
“If it protrudes enough, people can shun them and not want to be around them. They are considered different – when little kids show off their belly buttons, if someone has a belly button that doesn’t look like everybody else, they get shunned.”
Thankfully, Selina was too young to realise it. But it was only a matter of time until she woke up to see people were staring at her. She needed help – before it was too late.
Dr Zwiacher explained that, if left untreated, “It will get larger. They can get as large as a grapefruit. If it’s over two centimeters in size before age four, we believe that it is going to get large enough to cause a problem,” he explained.
In Selina’s case, at just two years old, the hernia was already 6cm in size.
Untreated hernias can quickly become serious, as Dr Zwiacher explains: “Sometimes, the bowels can get stuck in it and if that happens, the bowel can rupture and perforate or become ischemic. She could get very sick, and people die from obstructed hernias. We needed to fix it.”
The relief of safe surgery
Thankfully, Selina was given free surgery on board the Global Mercy. With the risks of an untreated hernia out of the way, her mum could look forward to a healthier and safer future for Selina.
While on board our hospital ship, Mariama found that the love she experienced from Mercy Ships volunteers helped her regain confidence. She was overjoyed and full of gratitude for the successful surgery.
“Her stomach is now normal, just like my own,” she shared.
Today, she is full of hope for Selina, who is now free to become anyone she chooses to be. Thanks to safe surgery, Selina can now experience a happy childhood free from pain, ridicule, and the health risks of an untreated hernia.
