Crew members onboard our hospital ship develop close bonds of friendship, and it’s hard to say goodbye.

One of the surgical specialties onboard our hospital ships is pediatric orthopedics. So many children suffer from bowed legs, club feet, or other disabilities. Nurse Amy Wilderspin describes how one little patient got surgical help:

Technically, it’s not part of their job description … but, fortunately, most of our crew members don’t mind donating blood. Literally, they’re a “walking blood bank.”  

Hurricane Harvey brought tragic devastation to Houston. But it also fueled compassion. One example was Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, the owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston.

Our crewmembers pay their own way to serve the world’s poorest. Many have supporters who help financially. Why do people choose to do this? Volunteer nurse Amy Wilderspin explains:

Diana Pereira, from Brazil, shares a story of hope fulfilled.

Somewhere in the United States, a pair of used plus-13 prescription eyeglasses was placed in a collection box. The Lion’s Club mailed them to the Caribbean Mercy.

I end every broadcast with the phrase “Bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.”  Crewmember Dr. Bob Burlingame describes what that looks like.

Volunteer nurse Amy Jones and the Mercy Ships Medical Team visited a local hospital.  They found a boy in terrible pain from a broken bone.  Listen to a West African crew member describe hospitals in Benin.

A 1938 John Deere tractor is a familiar site in Christmas parades in North Carolina.  Some say, “It’s remarkable that the Deere still runs.”