The miraculous recovery of the adolescent’s ability to consume food and communicate resulted in her dropping out of school due to overwhelming feelings of embarrassment.
Because the local hospitals were unable to assist Grace, she was sent to the charity hospital Mercy Ships, where she had a four-hour operation to have the tumor, lower jaw, and teeth removed.
Grace said that the local physicians did not give any therapy since they continued to be perplexed by her condition.
“It started from a little swelling inside, and the gums started growing little by little,” she added. “It’s been like this for a while.”
“We went to the hospital, but they had no idea what was wrong, and they did nothing to help us.”
Christine, Grace’s mother, claims that she was helpless and had no choice but to watch her daughter suffer since she did not know who to turn to for assistance.
Christine shared her thoughts by stating, “I didn’t know what to do – in hospital they just talked a lot but did nothing.”
Grace expressed the following when asked to describe what it is like to live with a tumour that poses a significant risk to one’s life: “I was sick, I was always indoors, I was not happy anymore, and I worried all the time.”
Eventually, a Christian pastor came upon the little girl and began an advocacy effort on her behalf in order to get medical assistance.
A reader contacted the church after seeing the article of the youngster posted on the church website and informed them about Mercy Ships.
Some of the most impoverished people in the world are served for free by Mercy Ships, which runs the world’s biggest floating hospital, which is called the Africa Mercy and is really a converted Danish rail ferry.
Each year, sixteen hundred volunteers give their time for free. These individuals come from all over the globe and include medical professionals, nurses, and educators.
As soon as Grace came aboard the ship, she had a CT scan so that the doctors could examine the tumor and begin making plans for the operation that would be required to remove it.
“When it grows where it is on the mouth – as it expands it pulls the tongue into the back of the throat and that’s when they get into airway crisis where they can’t breathe,” said surgeon Dr. Gary Parker
It was possible that she might pass away as a result of asphyxia if she was not treated.
Along with the massive tumor, the bottom of Grace’s jaw as well as her teeth needed to be removed in order to complete the dangerous operation.
Dr. Parker continued by saying, “To remove the tumor, we had to open the neck to allow access to the jaw, and we had to separate the tumour from the normal jaw.”
Following the removal of the mass the size of a football, Dr. Parker restored the patient’s missing jaw with metal plates made of titanium.
When Grace has completed her recovery, she will be evaluated for the possibility of receiving prosthetic teeth after a period of six months.
“That will help her with her chewing, and appearance-wise and functionally, she should be able to have a normal life,” Dr. Parker noted.
The operation has had an enormous impact on Grace’s life and dramatically changed her circumstances. The young woman can now focus on the future thanks to the self-assurance she has gained in recent months.
She want to one day become a nurse and then go on to study medicine so that she would be able to assist others in the future who are dealing with difficult medical situations.
Grace expressed her gratitude by saying, “They made me happy. Now I want to study and help other people.”
Because of everything they have done for me, I would want to volunteer aboard the Mercy Ship so that I may give back to others in need. Because of the way my face was before, it brought about a significant transformation.
“It reformed my life, and as a result, I have a beautiful face now.”
Judy Polkinhorn, who serves as the executive director of Mercy Ships UK, lauded the “incredible work” carried out by the volunteers on board the floating hospital.
She said that “Grace’s story is a perfect example of the incredible work that the volunteers onboard the Africa Mercy carry out on a regular basis,” adding that “Grace’s story is a perfect example.”
Every day, people’s lives like Grace’s are improved because to the hard work and dedication of volunteers who contribute their time and enormous amounts of expertise.