http://www.mercyships.org en Copyright 2012 2012-02-02T21:41:40+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-happenings/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-happenings/ Alumni submitted reports about reunions and get together events in their part of the world. Alumni 2011-08-15T12:26:47+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/the-touch-of-a-hand/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/the-touch-of-a-hand/ Today at our Monday morning community meeting, our head surgeon, Dr. Gary Parker, spoke a little bit about what to expect at the huge mass screening we will do on February 1st to look for potential surgical candidates. Shiplog 2012-02-02T20:41:40+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/a-story-of-transformation/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/a-story-of-transformation/ One day, a radio jingle announced the arrival of Mercy Ships to assess people for surgery. Abdul and his father stood in line for an exhausting three days to be seen. It was worth every second when Abdul was accepted for treatment. “The joy I felt was so overwhelming that I lost my appetite to eat until I arrived at Mercy Ships,” he remembered with a flush of excitement. Alumni 2012-01-27T16:12:35+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-book-club/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-book-club/ We are excited to tell you about some Mercy Ships Alumni who have written books about their experiences or their insights into the human condition. So come on, let's support them and read! Alumni 2012-01-26T19:33:19+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/robin-newsam/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/robin-newsam/ Although some of the roles Robin has served in over the past seven years have been more challenging than others, it is the community life onboard that has continued to sustain him. “These things have all been part of the story of my life. Living in this community, its stories have become part of my life story.” Robin says. Alumni 2012-01-20T15:57:19+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/rock-star-becomes-food-service-manager-for-mercy-ships/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/rock-star-becomes-food-service-manager-for-mercy-ships/ With a background as a touring rock star and an Executive Chef, Ken Hatfield joins Mercy Ships as the new Food Service Manager. His journey is one of total transformation and redemption – leaving behind a world of luxury and stardom for life onboard the Africa Mercy, a state-of-the-art hospital ship in West Africa. Shiplog 2012-01-20T15:23:43+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/donation-of-modular-buildings/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/donation-of-modular-buildings/ Throughout each field service, Mercy Ships is committed to investing in local health care infrastructure in ways that will continue to have an impact long after the ship leaves. In keeping with this long-term capacity-building strategy, Mercy Ships donated three modular buildings to Rokupa Government Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, at the end of the 2011 Sierra Leone Field Service. Shiplog 2012-01-20T15:07:43+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/living-water-drill-donation/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/living-water-drill-donation/ On November 25, 2011, Mercy Ships held a ceremony to celebrate the donation of the drill rig and associated equipment and supplies to Living Water Sierra Leone. This Mercy Ships partner organization equips local people to implement water projects – including shallow well drilling, pump repair and hygiene education. Shiplog 2012-01-20T14:47:53+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/celebration-of-partnership/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/celebration-of-partnership/ On 19 December 2011, the Africa Mercy held a reception to celebrate twenty years of friendship and collaboration with the Republic of Ghana. The occasion focused on past and future partnerships for health care development in Ghana and beyond. In all, one hundred and twenty guests came to further develop their relationship with Mercy Ships. Shiplog 2012-01-20T14:18:15+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/caregiver-to-day-worker/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/caregiver-to-day-worker/ While taking care of her niece, Lamarana also found time to help the hospital crew by translating for other patients. She speaks several languages – Fula, Mende, Krio, Temne, English, and some French – and was a tremendous help to the nurses. Her communication skills were a great asset on the ward as patients come from all over West Africa. Shiplog 2012-01-13T19:03:31+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-newsletter-january-2012/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-newsletter-january-2012/ Calling all Mercy Ships Alumni! To read the January edition of 'The Ships Bell', the Mercy Ships Alumni newsletter, filled with exciting news pertaining to Mercy Ships and our extraordinary Alumni, click here! Alumni 2012-01-09T20:08:09+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/surgeon-returns-after-stint-on-medical-charity-ship/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/surgeon-returns-after-stint-on-medical-charity-ship/ A SURGEON is back home in Cambridge after performing life-saving operations on board a giant African hospital ship. Shiplog 2012-01-04T13:11:49+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/palliative-care/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/palliative-care/ The Mercy Ships Palliative Care Program was initiated after crew member Ann Giles identified a need to offer continuing care to people with inoperable tumors. Now in its tenth year, the program sends nurses into the community to offer pain relief, wound care, counseling and support to these patients. Alumni 2011-12-29T16:14:30+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/thank-you-sierra-leone/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/thank-you-sierra-leone/ Each year as a Field Service comes to a close, Mercy Ships holds an event to show our gratitude for our host country that provides us with countless resources while we are serving their country. The event honors and thanks them for allowing us to call their nation “home” for 10 months. On November 23, 2011, Mercy Ships hosted a Thank You Reception for its partners in Sierra Leone. 2011-12-28T15:12:18+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/the-final-eye-screening/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/the-final-eye-screening/ When the Mercy Ships Eye Team arrives at Kissy U.M.C. Eye Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, they are met by over 300 people waiting outside the gates. These people have come from all over the country and beyond, hoping to receive treatment for various eye conditions. Many of them have slept outside the previous night to keep their place in line. 2011-12-28T15:03:08+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/a-journey-of-faith/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/a-journey-of-faith/ Shortly after he finished Bible school, Peter had a dream in which he received a letter that he couldn’t decipher. “I gave it to a man of God and said, ‘I can’t understand this. Please read it for me,’” Peter says. “He read it to me, and it said I must begin planting churches in Benin and then continue outside of the country.” When Peter woke up, he remembered that the letter had instructed him to build churches in other African nations, but he couldn’t remember which countries were named. Alumni 2011-12-28T14:47:51+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alberta-johnson/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alberta-johnson/ Since Alberta was eighteen months old, Mariah has raised her, allowing the child’s young mother to finish her education. Three years ago, Mariah was cooking over an open fire in front of her Liberian home when Alberta awoke from her nap. Still groggy from sleep, the little girl walked too close to the fire, falling near the cooking oil. It splashed over her left arm and leg, up her back and over the back of her head. The fire quickly followed. The little girl’s left arm was terribly burned, immobilizing its position at her side. Her leg, back and the back of her head were also severely burned and scarred. Shiplog 2011-12-16T17:26:35+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-newsletter-december-2011/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-newsletter-december-2011/ Calling all Mercy Ships Alumni! To read the December edition of 'The Ships Bell', the Mercy Ships Alumni newsletter, filled with exciting news pertaining to Mercy Ships and our extraordinary Alumni, click here! Alumni 2011-12-01T18:55:59+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/rotary-and-mercy-ships-radio-interview/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/rotary-and-mercy-ships-radio-interview/ Institutional Development Officer, Mark Wright, discusses the brand new strategic partnership between Mercy Ships and Rotary International. 2011-11-29T14:22:43+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/mercy-ship-brings-basic-hospital-care-to-west-africa/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/mercy-ship-brings-basic-hospital-care-to-west-africa/ The Africa Mercy, a charity-funded hospital ship docked in Sierra Leone, provides the most sophisticated medical facility in the region. Shiplog 2011-11-21T16:00:45+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/royal-visitor/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/royal-visitor/ New Zealander, Glenys Gillingham, who works as a nurse onboard the hospital ship was thrilled to meet the Princess Royal during her recent visit to the Africa Mercy while in Sierra Leone recently as part of her tour of the West African country. Alumni 2011-11-10T21:15:36+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/dan-bergman/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/dan-bergman/ "I’m digging it!” said Nurse Dan Bergman about his life as a volunteer on the hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. Originally from California, but most recently from Colorado, his varied medical experience dates back to 1995. As an emergency medic, paramedic, and emergency helicopter flight nurse, he has been involved with critical care for sixteen years. He served in Special Services in the U.S. Army for 15 years and has been a nurse for the past ten years. Alumni 2011-11-08T21:25:54+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/housekeeping-team/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/housekeeping-team/ Meet the team responsible for maintaining a clean and healthy environment throughout the six decks, 26 public bathrooms, 37 offices... and every publicly-used floor, window, carpet and railing on the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world. Alumni 2011-11-02T14:21:43+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-newsletter-november-2011/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/alumni-newsletter-november-2011/ Calling all Mercy Ships Alumni! To read the November edition of 'The Ships Bell', the Mercy Ships Alumni newsletter, filled with exciting news pertaining to Mercy Ships and our extraordinary Alumni, click here! Alumni 2011-10-26T12:53:54+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/the-final-countdown/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/the-final-countdown/ Calling All South African Alumni! Alumni 2011-10-20T13:07:32+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/blessing-sonni/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/blessing-sonni/ Blessing Sonni is a very courageous young girl from Liberia. In 2008, when she was eight years old, she took a fall at school and damaged her knee cap. When the knee began to swell and fester, she was taken to a local clinic for treatment – but without a positive result. The infection became so severe that her face swelled, looking as if she had been horribly burned. Blessing and her mother appeared at the Mercy Ships gate, hoping they could get medical help. Alumni 2011-10-14T13:26:18+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/sidiatu-jollah/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/sidiatu-jollah/ Fatmata sat quietly in the Admissions tent cuddling her sixteen-month-old daughter in her lap. She had been searching for over a year for someone to give her some hope that little Sidiatu might have a normal life. Shiplog 2011-10-11T18:53:33+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/making-a-splash-on-charity-ship/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/making-a-splash-on-charity-ship/ Nicole Breitenfeldt, aged 34, a trainee plastic surgeon, has been treating injured people in impoverished Sierra Leone on board the world’s largest charity hospital ship. 2011-10-11T15:39:17+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/nola-doctor-and-nurse/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/nola-doctor-and-nurse/ Dr. Peter Meade, a surgeon on the training faculty of Tulane University Medical Center and LSU Health Sciences Center, and Mary Jackson, who works as an ER nurse at Interim LSU Public Hospital performed surgery in a floating hospital that serves some of the poorest people in the world. Alumni 2011-10-10T13:58:04+00:00 http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/ingrid-marais/ http://www.mercyships.org/blog/entry/ingrid-marais/ Ingrid Marais, an optometrist from South Africa, has completed a month with the Eye Team onboard the Africa Mercy, learning systems training to process patients more efficiently. She works at a small clinic in St. Johnsbury, Grahamtown, in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province – about an hour away from their nearest ophthalmologist. “I’m surprised you’re so well- organized. Everyone knows what to do. In not too long, our system will be as smooth as the Mercy Ships one,” she declared. Alumni 2011-10-07T15:18:17+00:00