Lydienne had every reason to be discouraged.  She’d had cataracts in her eyes for over ten years, causing her vision to be cloudy and limited.  She missed being able to work as a seamstress, seeing her grandchildren play, and traveling without the help of others.

In 1994, Ken Dunn and Dan Peterman created a nonprofit community bike shop in Chicago to refurbish discarded bicycles.  It became known as Blackstone Bicycle Works.

A five-month-old patient named Djaliou had a problem that affected his breathing.  Tests were run to determine whether surgery could be done.

An elderly woman came to our eye clinic.  She loved her 25-year-old son dearly… but she had never seen his face!  You see, she’d been blind for his entire life. 

Heather Clark’s seven-month-old son, Lukas, died in 2013, and his mother donated his organs.  Just two days later, his heart saved the life of an 18-month-old girl, Jordan.

A crew member noticed one patient’s mother who found a special way to say “thank you.” 

In 2014, Gregg Scott did a water survey in Tanzania, East Africa.  The needs were nearly overwhelming.  

Lee Ann volunteers as a dietitian onboard our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy.  She describes a five-month-old patient.

In 1912, teenager Esther Pettersson left Sweden to work with the Salvation Army among lepers in Java, Indonesia.  She learned to bandage, feed and dress her patients.  

Victoria’s face was covered in bandages, but her eyes still sparkled brightly. A crew member pulled up a chair and sat next to her on our hospital ship.