Mariama is a beautiful 17-year-old girl in Senegal. But she didn’t think she was beautiful.

Dr. Afzali boarded our hospital ship in Senegal for two weeks of volunteer service. He’s a maxillofacial surgeon from the United States.

Vivien Welch is a nurse from New Zealand who serves on board our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. 

Baby Paul was born with a cleft lip and palate and couldn’t nurse properly. His frightened mother, Francoise, watched him slowly lose weight and strength.  

People have a variety of reasons for volunteering with Mercy Ships.  But perhaps the main one is the chance to witness amazing transformations in the lives of our patients. 

Honore had a decision to make. His parents had died unexpectedly.

Mercy Ships provides free surgical care to people with little access to quality medical care. Sometimes it’s hard for them to understand that there really aren’t any strings attached.

The joy of serving on board our hospital ships is watching the physical and emotional transformations of our patients. 

Susy served as a nurse on board our hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, in Cameroon. 

Is there anything harder than waiting for something you desperately need?