For Manteneh, Mercy Ships was her son’s last chance.
She had brought her 3-year-old son to several local hospitals nearby, but a lack of resources left the doctors unsure of what they could do to treat Emmanuel’s rare disorder. Instead, they had no choice but to turn her away.
Emmanuel’s condition began soon after he was born. Manteneh had noticed a white-colored swelling around her son’s ear. Unsure of what to do, she compressed the area with warm water, but things began to worsen.
Bring hope and healing to children like Emmanuel
Eventually, Manteneh was able to learn her child’s diagnosis — lymphangioma, an abnormality of the lymphatic system that occurs during pregnancy, often not apparent until after the child is born. These rare, fluid-filled bumps can cause pain and, due to the compression and blockage of nearby tissues and organs, can lead to significant disfigurement.
In Emmanuel’s case, the lesion developed on the side of his face, near his ear, and many doctors at local hospitals could not treat him beyond prescribing basic pain medication.
Emmanuel’s condition forced his father, Yirah, who was studying at university, and his mother, a tailor, to stop working to fully care for him. Without a steady income, the limited help they could find soon became financially out of reach. Still, they never stopped believing that their son could be healed.
“I learned about Mercy Ships from my brother-in-law,” Manteneh shared. “I didn’t know if it would work, but this was our last chance.”
Emmanuel and his family relocated to Freetown in July 2023, living with friends and relatives temporarily so they could be closer to where the Global Mercy would dock, in hopes that he would find healing aboard.
Despite the pain of the growth on his head, Emmanuel’s joy continued to shine through — especially in the presence of his father, who was with him when he went into surgery.
“I was so worried for him,” Yirah shared. “After they took him away for surgery, I couldn’t eat any food.”
But hours later, that worry was replaced with newfound joy. Emmanuel returned from surgery — and though his face was swollen, his painful burden was finally gone. He immediately went back to playing with the other children on board, excited to make new friends.
Over the following days, Emmanuel’s post-operation swelling reduced, and he was ready to return home at last. While Emmanuel kicked a soccer ball around with other kids, his father shared how incredibly grateful he was for his son’s transformation.
“When he came home from surgery, it was like we had just given birth to Emmanuel,” Yirah explained, smiling. “The entire community was very happy for my son’s surgery. People around us were saying that Emmanuel is newborn!”
At home, Emmanuel played with the neighborhood children as if nothing had ever changed, but his parents shed tears of gratitude and relief. They were overjoyed watching their son begin a normal life, no longer weighed down by his condition.
“We got treated like celebrities, camera everywhere. My son was treated like a president or minister, so I do appreciate everything,” he said.
Neighbors gathered around Emmanuel, and his father led a touching song that he had sung on board the ship:
“I came with pain
I am going with joy
I came with pain
I am going with joy
Jesus has done it for me
Jesus has done it for me
Papa God has done it for me
Jesus has done it for me!”
