"Not Much Has Been Going On"

Our first patient, Justine, being carried up
the gangway!

Since the Ship’s arrival in Douala, everyone has been all in trying to get everything ready for the arrival of the patients. The first patients arrived at the HOPE Center 6 days after our arrival and the HOPE Center team did an amazing job of getting everything ready in that time. A small window into what that entails: waiting until the deck team can unload the container, with all their supplies, off the ship; unloading the container into a truck and having it delivered to the HOPE Center; building 222 beds (literally putting these metal beds together, which was infuriating at times); cleaning EVERYTHING; making the beds up with sheets and blankets and mosquito nets. And that’s just one of the tasks. With a team that was 4/5 new. And this amazing group of humans managed to get it all done, ready to welcome the first patients when they arrived. This allowed the patients to start coming to the Ship for their various screening appointments, getting diagnostics and scans before being screened by the surgeons.

Almost every department has had this intense level of set up, as we got to that moment last Monday where the first patients of the field service were admitted. On Tuesday we began surgeries and continued throughout the week, with maxillofacial, orthopaedic and women’s health surgeries all under way. What a crazy place we live when people can have surgery on Tuesday and already be discharged before the week is up. We’ve seen patients have their bandages removed and grin as they see their faces for the first time; we’ve seen cleft lips repaired on people of various ages; we’ve seen legs made straight; and so much more. With God’s sustaining love we’ve managed to get to this point, where from my non-medical viewpoint, miracles are done every day. I am still blown away by what our surgeons can do.

Surgeries are under way and we get everyone to help
(kidding! - the hospital had an open house and people got
to play at being a surgeon).

And amongst all this busyness, we’ve been bombarded by the local media, wanting to know what’s going on, wanting to come on the Ship, wanting to talk to patients, etc. We’ve been trying to craft an African media strategy on the fly, while honouring our close partnership with the Government of Cameroon, and protecting our patients. This was part of a very short article published on Friday in the Journal du Cameroon: Meanwhile, the hospital recently presented a report of their three weeks stay in Cameroon. This was during a meeting at the banquet hall in Douala.  Since the arrival of the Africa Mercy at the Douala port, not much has been going on.

Well there you have it. I’m surprised I can find anything to write about since nothing has been going on. We had a good laugh when we read that. On the flip side, I’m pretty sure my parents never thought I would be famous in Cameroon. This is from the Cameroon Tribune: In a statement, Africa Mercy’s Media Liaison, Renée Joubarne, says: “We are excited to begin the first of approximately 3,000 surgeries that will be performed during our time here.” The health exercise kicked off after about two weeks of being in the country, during which installations of medical equipment were going on board and in the three local hospitals in Douala. We’ve been fighting a numbers battle (some stories saying we will do 30,000 surgeries, 10,000 surgeries, 6,000, etc.) so I’ve been repeating the same number over and over. I’ve spent the week crafting (and translating) statements to be sent to the media, and to be read by various members of our leadership team on camera. Every few days the Day Crew come up to me and say, hey Renee I saw you on TV last night! Lovely…I’ve had to make a few statements in French and English, to the media when there is no one else available. Look mom, I’m on Cameroon TV! ;)

The whole Comms team celebrating Michele's birthday!

For all the stress and running around that has come with this, I always appreciate a new challenge, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to develop new skills and to gain new experiences. I’m learning I actually enjoy this kind of work. I’m particularly thankful to work in an organization that is fairly flat in terms of hierarchy, where I can be standing in the Managing Director’s office crafting a statement with the Hospital Director and they ask you for your input (and listen to what you say!). There can’t be too many organizations where you would get opportunities like this, and this week made me especially thankful for how special this place is.

One of my favourite things about the last two weeks has been all the dancing and singing going on. On Thursday, we hosted another edition of Comms Karaoke, with crew members writing new lyrics to Disney songs, coordinating dances/performances to well known songs, and just willing to be silly with us. We also went to the Malagasy Karaoke place with a big group of people, including all the Malagasy, and it was fun to see everyone laughing and singing and having a good time. My absolute favourite has probably been the office dance parties, with a few of us in an office, just dancing and being free. It’s been great to start to build deeper relationships with people (although these guys are all night owls and might kill me with all the late nights!).

Our Dental clinic is also up and running, with the first
screenings taking place last week.

One of the most difficult things this week was a situation with a patient that really got to me. I’ve always struggled with the dynamic that comes from needing to share patient stories vs. protecting patients privacy (I am heavily on the protecting patients privacy side of the argument, making it ironic that I’m on the Comms team sometimes). The Government flew in a young girl from up north because our surgeons told them it was urgent. I was really touched by how invested the Government was, that they would fly this one patient and a caregiver and cover the cost. But with that comes the fact that they invited media to cover her arrival, which if I’m honest, is probably the same thing my government would do if they were spending hundreds of dollars helping someone. That didn’t make it any easier for me to stand there as they emptied everyone else from the plane and had her come down last so that the media could capture it. It was an incredibly uncomfortable moment and I had to marvel at the courage of this young girl – she’s never left her village, never been on a plane, she’s here without a parent (the man with her was the only person in their village that happened to have an identity card and was able to come).

It really brought home the challenges that people face in receiving the health care they need. Even with the surgery being provided for free, there are so many other obstacles! Logistical problems, fear of the unknown, pressure from others in the village – every single one of our patients is so brave in taking a big leap of faith and trusting us with their lives. I’m grateful for each patient that God brings to us, allowing to cross paths with them, even if it is brief. We are so blessed by their courage and faith. This beautiful young girl is having surgery next week, please pray that it would go well, that God would wrap her in His arms and that she would feel so loved and valued during her time here, that we would be the hands and feet of Jesus.

But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. 

~ Titus 3:4-8

Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. 

~ Titus 3:14

This all crew photo took place after a hospital evacuation drill and took lots of coordination from our Comms team - we're so excited to be here in Cameroon!