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ENGLISH NURSE RUNS LONDON MARATHON FOR MERCY SHIPS
Ali Herbert, a nurse from Gloucester, is running this year’s Virgin London Marathon in aid of Mercy Ships, the international charity that provides free medical and humanitarian care to some of the world’s poorest people.
Having spent six months in Benin last year volunteering onboard the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest charity hospital ship, she is now training for the gruelling 26.2 miles around London in April.
The theatre nurse, who is currently studying at the London School of Tropical Medicine, was part of the tem of volunteers who provided free medical care to thousands of people in Benin last year.
Ali said: “I will be facing a new kind of challenge by running one of the world's most famous and popular marathons and for a cause that is very close to my heart.
“Volunteering with Mercy Ships has been a life changing experience for me. Working with volunteers from all around the world and helping people with no other medical care have a second chance at life has been overwhelming. Running with colleagues from the ship in Benin to keep fit inspired me to run a marathon again.
“Now that I am back in the UK it is very important to me to continue my support for Mercy Ships and raise awareness of the charity and the work it does. Having seen first hand the lives changed I could not go back to my everyday life without continuing to do something to support the charity.
“I have run several marathons before and am 100% committed to it and I will not give up. Visualising the children's faces onboard the Africa Mercy will get me round. I hope that by running the marathon I will be raising vital funds that will help save more lives.”
The Africa Mercy is a former Danish rail ferry and began a seven month outreach in Togo in February 2010. It is staffed entirely by an international crew of dedicated volunteers from over 50 nations ranging from seamen, engineers, surgeons, doctors and nurses. The surgeons on board perform operations on children and adults such as cleft lip and palate, cataract and crossed eye corrections, facial reconstructions, club feet and dental treatments.
Mercy Ships has spaces for people to run on its behalf and by raising money and awareness you will personally be contributing to the ongoing work carried out by some of the most generous doctors and nurses working at Mercy Ships.
All crew serving on board the hospital ship are volunteers who give up their time and expertise to help save the lives of women who are born into poverty and have no access to health care. Mercy Ships help change the lives of so many people, from the very young to the old - all of whom are in desperate need of treatment.
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