Twin Sisters Doubling Their Impact On Board

Debbie Nutsugah came to volunteer on board the Africa Mercy for 6 months as a biomedical technician. But before her 6 months were complete, she already decided to extend her service and called her twin sister, Dorcas, to come join her. Dorcas was excited to come aboard and volunteer in the human resources department with patient services. Originally from Ghana, both sisters are now volunteering on board the Global Mercy and plan to stay for a few years.

In this episode, Debbie and Docas talk about their unique roles on board and how fun it is to serve together and live together. They also share their love of the patients and getting to play a part in their healing, the wonderful community they’ve found, and how they are growing personally and professionally.

These sweet sisters will warm your heart and put a smile on your face.Looking for a way to join our mission of bringing hope and healing? Partner with us through a gift, volunteering with us, or by joining us in prayer.

New Mercies Podcast Transcript

Welcome to the New Mercies, a podcast by Mercy Ships, where we’ll take you behind the scenes and on board our incredible hospital ships that are transforming lives all over the world. We invite you to join us each week as we sit down with our crew, patients, volunteers, and partners to hear their stories of life-changing hope and healing.

Debbie and Dorcas are twin sisters from Ghana. After Debbie volunteered as a biomedical technician on board, she knew that her sister would also love Mercy Ships. So Debbie recruited her sister to come serve in human resources and now they both live aboard the Global Mercy. These beautiful sisters are filled with joy and they are loving sharing this adventure together.

Here’s my interview with Deborah and Dorcas Nutsugah.

Raeanne Newquist:

Dorcas and Deborah, welcome to New Mercies. I am so excited to have you both on the podcast today because you guys are twin sisters serving together on the Global Mercy and I can’t wait to hear your story. And I’m sure everyone listening feels the same way. It’s pretty special when family members are on board together. But to have twin adult sisters on board together is just a real special thing. And I know that you both serve in very different departments. Why don’t you guys tell us a little bit about yourselves, tell us where you’re from, and you’re growing up and all that fun stuff.

Dorcas Nutsugah:

Out of tickets. We are from Ghana. And in the last year before we joined Mercy Ships, we lived in Ghana. And we are from a family of seven, including our parents. So we have three adult siblings. We are the second born in our family. And so we have lived pretty much in a lot of places in Ghana. Our father is a pastor, so he gets transferred from different regions at least every five years. So we have lived pretty much everywhere, just like what we are doing now with Mercy Ships.

Raeanne:

So your father was a pastor, and you guys moved around all over the country of Ghana, which is so fun. Was that hard for you guys to keep meeting new people and new friends at school?

Debbie Nutsugah:

It was sad to not be able to keep or see our friends every time like after we leave, then we got used to it. It’s been our lives since childhood.

Raeanne:

Yeah, I’m sure in many ways, it becomes normal. And it probably prepared you for what you’re doing now because as we know, on Mercy Ships, there’s a lot of hellos and a lot of goodbyes as crew is constantly changing and rotating in and out. So your lifestyle of your childhood prepared you for exactly what you’re doing right now.

Tell us about how you heard about Mercy Ships and then What compelled you to go volunteer? And maybe Dorcas you can kick us off with this question.

Dorcas:

Well, thank you very much. And it would be very interesting for Debbie to start because basically she recruited me. But we both knew of Mercy Ships from LinkedIn. We’ve pulled messages for a long time, a very long time and we’ve been seeing all the transformations going on in people’s lives, how they helped do surgeries, and everything. The stories we see online really inspired us a lot. So when Debbie got the opportunity to come, she just called me and was telling me how amazing it is. And I was like, Tell me more, is it good? What’s going on? How can I go? She was like, you just have to come and see this for yourself. So I applied and I was quickly called but then it’s more than she invited me, it was more of a purpose journey for me. So I would like her to also speak about how she came ahead of me.

Raeanne:

Yes, of course. So essentially, your sister was already on board, super excited, and she recruited you to come join her. So Debbie, why don’t you tell us then how it began? How did you first come to Mercy Ships and then pull your sister along?

Debbie:

Yes, we saw the posts on LinkedIn and when I saw a need for biomed became available, I was excited about that. So then I got the opportunity to come a few months later to apply. And I was coming initially for six months. But then when I got here, after a few weeks, I told the guys I’m not coming back!

Yeah, so I committed for a longer time after joining and Dorcas was really happy. She just joined immediately without thinking about it.

Raeanne:

Well, before I hear what was so enticing that caused you to stay longer, right from the start, why don’t you tell us Debbie, what exactly you do on board? You mentioned biomedical technical type things. Tell us what you do?

Debbie:

Yes, so I work as a biomedical technician on board. That means I maintain the hospital equipment, the equipment they use on the patient, either directly on the patient or indirectly, like the monitors they use to monitor their patients, or their sterilizing equipment used to sterilize surgery instruments before using them on the patient.

With my team, we maintain this equipment, making sure that they don’t break. But even when they break, we are able to help repair them.

Raeanne: What is your field of study that you did to equip you to be a biomedical technician?

Debbie:

So I studied biomedical engineering in school. And then I worked at home as a biomedical engineer as well.

Raeanne:

So basically, you’re very smart! You mentioned that you signed up for six months, but when you got on you said, Oh, Dorcas you better come join me because I’m not going back. What was it that kind of grabbed your heart? What made it so great for you to be on board that you wanted to stay longer?

Debbie:

Yeah, I can’t really just point to one thing, but the community was really great. And my manager that I came to meet in the department was so helpful to me, in my personal development, he was just the best. And he engaged me a lot in the work. He made me really do a lot of things. So I saw myself growing at a very fast pace. It was amazing. I was also so excited. Everybody was really happy that I was on board and they needed biomed. And so yeah, my manager is Guido and he’s really, really helpful.

They say that people don’t quit bad jobs, they quit bad leadership or bad managers. So the other way around is also true — people stay because of good leadership.

Raeanne:

You know, you’re right. A lot of people leave their jobs that they love because of bad management. But you have this incredible supervisor that invests in you, encourages you, is helping develop personally, but probably professionally too learning so much. So shout out to Guido Kortlaven. He’s an incredible manager. And I just love that that the community also welcomed you so much that you said this is a place I want to stay, and I want to bring my sister along with me. So obviously, Dorcas, your sister was so convincing that you said yes. So why don’t you tell us what do you do on board? What is your role?

Dorcas:

So I joined the ship last year in July on the Africa Mercy as a receptionist, and I moved into human resources. So I am a human resource facilitator in patient services, I am responsible for facilitating the nurses in the hospital, basically everyone who is working in the hospital except the operating room nurses and surgeons. So that’s all under a different department. The crew in medical capacity building, hospital Program Support Services, and the crew clinic, public health… I facilitate those people. So as soon as they apply, I make sure they come on board, and then I take care of them until they leave. I help them with all their processes. So that’s my department.

Raeanne:

That’s a special department because then you get to meet so many of our crew, all these nurses that serve in the wards, you get to meet them first, and help them through their process, which is so cool. Has that been fun for you to meet all the new people that come on board?

Dorcas:

It’s very fun for me! I have a very introverted personality, but in reception that really gave me a good setup to meet all the crew, I basically am the first person to meet anyone that comes on board. And then I just see people coming up the gangway and then the joy they come on their faces, which is just so nice. And now in human resources, I am now not really upfront, but I am the one facilitating them. It’s really nice. It’s great. It’s an amazing job and I love it.

Raeanne:

I’m so glad that you both have jobs that you love, and people that you love that you work with and that you meet.

Debbie:

She mentioned that she is introverted, but it’s not true. Since she came on board, everyone knows her but not me. You know, the people who knew us together, they came to know fast that she is the life of the party! 

Raeanne:

So Dorcas you’re really not an introvert but in your sister’s words, you’re the life of the party! Just real quick — do people mix you guys up because I know our listeners can’t see you but I can see you right now via zoom. And you guys are identical twins do people mix you up?

Debbie:

A lot they do. I have a uniform in my department, I always wear the blue scrubs and she just wears regular clothes.

Raeanne:

So the scrubs give you away, I love it. Well Debbie, why don’t you tell us the highlight for you working in that the biomed area on this ship.

Debbie:

The ship has so much equipment just like a very high standard hospital on land. I found out that this ship has really state of the art equipment. We have all the equipment that the patients need right from before operation, during operation, and after operation. So I see it as a very big thing to me when I joined the ship, I see that there’s a lot to work on but also a lot to learn from all this equipment that we have here. My job is making it safe for the patients that are here using the equipment. This equipment is modern and not secondhand or something, this ship is really well equipped. And I’ve also been able to get training on this equipment, a lot of trainings, as I mentioned earlier. Guido tries to help ensure that I’m equipped to do my job. So very early on, when I joined, he signed me up to  get training on a CT scanner, radiology equipment and lab equipment as well, those are things I love.

Raeanne:

That is so neat, because you are getting such an education as well. You came highly educated and trained with lots of experience. But as you mentioned, there is state of the art equipment on board the Global Mercy, brand new, beautiful, huge machines that help our patients in incredible ways. And you’re getting to work on them and learn more about them and have such an important role in ensuring our patients safety.

 Well, Dorcas, why don’t you tell us a highlight from your job? What’s something you just love about what you do?

Dorcas:

For me, the people are the highlights. Because I’m in the position where I see people come on board, people who work on their patients come on board, people of all age groups, I see 18 year olds and 70 year old people. Everybody has so much invested in trying to bring this hope and healing to the patients, which is what Mercy Ships is all about. And for me, the highlight is just the passion that people intentionally invest in this. And it’s completely great. It’s very great because people come not wanting not coming to serve and it’s such a big highlight for me seeing all these people come volunteering and doing what they do and doing it best.

Raeanne:

So Dorcas, I know working in the human resources department, you get to work with all sorts of different crew that come on board. But there’s also day crew that come and help in the department as well. So why don’t you tell us a little bit about the people that you work with?

Dorcas:

Yes, thank you very much. So I’d like to share about some particular day crew. In Senegal, the population is mostly Muslim. So the day crew we work with are largely Muslims, and we have become friends and some of them have shared with me their faith as Muslims, they are excited about being Muslim and exploring their faith journey. And that’s one thing Mercy Ships does is it is not just a humanitarian organization or something, it’s also a Christian based organization. So we are modeling Jesus Christ and we it has really impacted their faith journey.

I really truly actually think that this hope and healing is just not to our patients but also for day crew who are finding answers to their questions. I feel like it’s a very big highlight.

Raeanne:

What do your parents think about this? Obviously, your father being in ministry, your family moved a lot. So it probably wasn’t a big surprise that you guys would join this nonprofit organization. But to have two daughters go, how are they handling that?

Debbie:

I know my mom always misses us a lot. My dad is really always very busy with ministry. So he misses us, but he was really excited. Yeah, so recently that we got to go home for a while and they were so happy to have us back home.

Raeanne:

Oh, I bet. Now I know that there are other crew members onboard from Ghana. Has that been fun for you to connect with other people from your country?

Dorcas:

Yes, yes. When we joined, we used to have some time together, cook Ghanian food, can make Ghanian meals and eat together is nice. And in the evenings we played some games together with the community. So it’s nice that we came here. We did not have any contact before coming here. So now we meet all these amazing people. So it was nice that they can use on board.

It’s like the best adventure I’ve ever done in my life. Because the constant laughter the warm engagement and all that she gets to be my buddy sometimes when I’m in isolation, and yeah, it’s really nice. But also everyone on board here, it’s just like family. I have not met a single person who have not been like a family to me, everyone is so warm, so welcoming.

Raeanne:

Well, why don’t you each tell us maybe a story about an impactful moment for you personally since you’ve been on board.

Dorcas:

When I was working in reception, I mean, that was the first place I worked in when I came here, the most impacting thing for me was how much people believe in me. Because I, sometimes you will not even believe that there was something you could really do. But then your team will really believe in your end, where I’m coming from, you don’t really see an open expression of love, but people so easily express love here on board. It’s really nice. And also, the management on board here just is really intentional about the development of the crew. And they really invest in their crew, the whole crew, everything because I have a friend who moved from housekeeping into the IS and he was so happy because he felt like the management is so intentional about his development, because that’s what he did in school. And this is very, very meaningful to me, because there is actually no listing of somebody as less important, and others are very important. That doesn’t exist here on board at all. And that even really impacts me a lot. It impacts the way I will relate with others, because it was exemplified to us by management.

Raeanne:

You know, we hear that over and over again on the podcast from various crew members, regardless of what their role is onboard, everybody is essential. Everybody plays an important role. And not one person is more important than the other. And that’s just really counterintuitive. I think, to our human minds, we always think the person with the biggest title is most important, or the person who makes the most money, or that’s the most popular whatever. In the case of the ship, it could be well, the captain, of course, he’s the most important or the surgeon, but it’s just not the case, everyone is essential. And I love that you continue to affirm that it’s a beautiful part of Mercy Ships, that every person plays a very important role. So I can see how that’s very impactful.

What about you, Debbie, what something that’s been really impactful for you?

Debbie:

It’s really similar to what Dorcas said. I will not say my story without how my manager has helped me develop over the short time I’ve been here. It has impacted me a lot. He helped me make a list of the things I’d like to achieve over my time here. And these trainings he signed me up for are really impactful. Normally it is just deliver your job, do what you have been told and then we are satisfied, but it’s not like that.

Raeanne:

That’s so great to have a manager that pours into you and doesn’t make you feel bad if you don’t know how to do something, but just teaches you and provides more training for you so that you’re better equipped, and you’re stronger at what you’re doing — that is very, very impactful, for sure. Well, I know that one thing that is special about Mercy Ships is that there’s a lot of opportunity for all the crew to get to interact to the patients at different degrees. I know COVID has brought on new restrictions that we didn’t have previously but I know those are lightening up a little bit and there’s more opportunity to see patients. Debbie, I know in your job working on the equipment that serves the patients you probably have some opportunity to interact. Tell us about your time with patients.

Debbie:

When I go to maintain an equipment and look at equipment, I run into the patients a lot. Sometimes I’m just working on a monitor by their bedside. We look like Senegalese, though we are not, so when the patients see me, they think I can speak Wolof, they start speaking the wall off with me.

Sometimes they think I’m their nurse, or something. And so they start asking questions. I’ve been able to meet a lot of patients, and my office is just next to them and I see when the patients are taken in for their surgeries, and when they are going out of there or just passed by our office. And so I still see them. So I see like the before and after kind of thing. And when I get on to the ward, I see these children walking all around, especially the children that have surgeries on their legs, they will be practicing their walking, and you are just trying to dodge them. And it’s been so nice to see that they are happy. Most of the patients, you see that they are more confident to interact with you when they are with their new life, they have some more confidence. On the Africa Mercy the little patients when they’ve gotten to a good enough stage of their recovery, they come around in our offices and put stickers on our faces.

Raeanne:

And what is that like for you to know that you’re playing an important part in those life changing transformations that you’re seeing in these patients? What does that like for you to know that you have part of it?

Debbie:

Seeing all these direct impacts can really motivate you. There’s a time that an equipment is on a patient that something is failing, and then they call you in and then you can quickly resolve that. So it feels like an achievement for me. Like I’m seeing all I’m doing is impacting the patient. It’s so spiritual for me, I have a lot of inspiration from this.

Back home, you don’t see that patient, you don’t interact, nothing like that. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing here.

Raeanne:

That’s a special thing that you point out to us, you know, you’re getting to see the fruit of your labor, if you will, you’re getting to see how important the work that you do is when you see patients being transformed. And your time working in Ghana before in hospitals, you don’t really get to see the patients, you don’t get that interaction. So what a gift, you know, for the work that you do that you get to see how it is impacting lives and changing them.

What about you, Dorcas? You know you’re in the HR department. But how do you get to interact with patients?

Dorcas:

Well, thankfully, recently, the hospital management decided to open the hospital up for other crew members who don’t interact with the patients, they host other crew members to come and interact with a patient and that’s how I got to interact with them sometimes. But previously, I have interacted with some of the patients, especially the little ones after surgeries, they like to come around and we see the smile on their face and interact with us also, the hospital experience. The hospital visiting hours help some of us to see the real work that is going on behind closed doors and that’s how we have seen it and in a few days there will be the celebration of sight. There will be celebrating all those patients who had their cataract surgeries, and it will be happening in a few days and it will be something we are really looking forward to because we are going to see all those patients who couldn’t see before and now can see and it’s going to be a very big celebration.

The women’s health fistula repairs, those stories really impact me a lot. Because all my life I’ve wanted to become a midwife to help people give birth, that has been my dream. Somehow, I got into business! When I see those patients, and when they come out, I’ve seen a couple of them before and it was amazing. After surgery, they are dressed in all the very nice clothing and they are celebrating and all that is amazing. I have seen some of them before and the joy on their face, you can’t really tell it, it just gives you goosebumps, and I am happy when I see them.

And all those little children within on the Africa Mercy they always come up to deck seven and that was a cool space as well. So they always come up to the seven for fresh air. And I see them a lot during that time. Because there is no elevator on the Africa Mercy, so they use this stairs that we also use and when you see them, oh my god, it’s just so fulfilling and so healing. So in my role as the HR facilitator for patient services, I feel like I do a lot also. Because if I do not facilitate those nurses, then how would they also get the surgeries they need and all that. So I felt like some way, I’m also connected.

Raeanne:

That is so wonderful. And you know, as we mentioned before, everyone is essential. So yes, it’s not just your sister working on the hospital equipment that is important, but you facilitating the nurses that help with patients as well, you know, everyone, everyone plays a vital role. And that’s so great. And I love that you both and very different departments, get to see patients, whether it’s, you know, passing them in hallways, or on staircases, or going into the hospital for visiting hours or working on a machine right next to a patient, you get to see firsthand what is being done to change lives, which is the whole purpose. Right? The whole purpose in being in West Africa is to bring hope and healing and to transform lives forever. And I know that it’s not just the patient’s lives who are transformed. But I know that the crew also has life changing experiences from being on board. So as we close our time together, I would love to hear from each of you how your life has been changed thus far. Now I know your commitment isn’t over, you’re continuing to serve on board but thus far, how do you feel that your life has been changed?

Debbie:

In my career, I’ve always been trying to get advanced in my career. But here I’m doing my work to help save lives. Before I was focusing on my own need to grow me, and also silently trying to make my parents proud of me.

I see that there are also very kind people who are willing to leave everything to go and help people. So looking at patients, two sides of the world, looking at their needs and looking at how people are so kind and willing to just jump in and help I’ve seen that I can do better. Yeah, it has changed me a lot. Being on board does change my mindset and my understanding of a lot of things knowing that people need help.

Raeanne:

What about you, Dorcas? How are you change? How are you different?

Dorcas:

Well, I want to help. And I’ve always wanted to help back home. I’ve always used the opportunities I could to help people, even if it is donating blood, even if it is visiting the orphanage, I have a friend that we plan that in Ghana. So I basically really love helping people. And honestly, I get a lot of healing from that myself, and even a lot of hope. Because at the end of the day, I smile because somebody smiled because I helped somebody to smile. And that’s how I smile.

So volunteering has really given me a bigger platform to help people because then I know I’m not just hiding, I’m trying to help people. And so volunteering here, Mercy Ships has exposed me to a lot of positive things, not just healing for the patients down there in the hospital, but the crew members as well. Sometimes we hear the PA announcements in the surgery going on. It’s getting complicated, we need your prayers. And my sister and I often in our in a cabin, we pray. And then hearing at the end of the day that this complicated surgery has finally been completed and it’s good, it brings so much joy and it’s life changing for me myself as well. So yes, that’s the thing for me. Mercy Ships has given me a very big opportunity to help.

Raeanne:

I love that God has brought you together to serve on board to impact lives but also to have your own life impacted as well. Beautiful stories. Beautiful sisters, thank you so much for sharing with us a little bit about your Mercy Ships journey today.

Debbie and Dorcas:

Thank you very much, may God bless you.

For more information about Mercy Ships, go to mercyships.org, and to keep up with the guests on New Mercies, follow us on Instagram at NewMerciesPodcast.