After descending the Africa Mercy’s two stairwells, you will discover that you have exited the vessel entirely and are now in the midst of a crowded and bustling hospital. Children will be found playing, the medical staff will be praying, patients will be visiting, and there will be lots of African music playing. The fact that Maimouna is not the most talkative of the group is surprising given that she is just 13 years old.
The prominent facial tumor that maimouna had started just above her left eyebrow, and it eventually spread all the way down her face to the corner of her mouth, displacing her left eye. She has had a neurofibroma since birth, and it gave her the appearance that one half of her face had fallen off as a result of the tumor. Maimouna’s healthy right eye allowed her to see the world around her despite the obstruction caused by her birth defect. And to her utter dismay, Maimouna became known to the whole globe.
She was made fun of for her looks during all 13 years of school. In addition, the culture of West Africa is steeped in superstition, and it is widely held that physical defects are a sign of evil and indicate that a person has been cursed. Not only did Maimouna’s classmates make fun of her, but they ignored her entirely as well. The sagging facial tumor turned into the cause of a spirit that had been shattered.
“I had so many sleepless nights worrying about how to help my child,” said Maimouna’s father, who was attempting to sell his vehicle in order to pay his daughter’s operation when he found that the Africa Mercy would be arriving to Conakry. Maimouna’s father was relieved when he learned that the Africa Mercy would be traveling to Conakry. It was explained to me that no one other than Mercy Ships would be able to do the procedure. I had no money with which to make the payment, but suddenly God paid!”
The tumor that was growing on Maimouna was surgically removed. Even though she was covered in bandages after her procedure, it was clear to see the significant difference. The profile of Maimouna looked smoother and more normalized after some time had passed. Her face had been raised because the weight of the tumor had been removed off of it. The nurses had high hopes that her spirit would return, but breaking through years of social isolation is a technique that is considerably more difficult.
In the days after her procedure, Maimouna was very reserved and did not utter a word. Instead, her father and sister took turns staying at the hospital and providing updates on her condition. “I’m sorry, maybe she will talk more another day,” her sister would remark to guests whenever they came to visit.
Lynne White, a volunteer ward nurse from Australia, remarked, “It was a very long time before I realized that she was speaking.” She maintained such a low profile that I almost doubted she could be heard. However, I am able to comprehend it. She had spent her whole life isolating herself and had no friends before she got here, and she found that the attention was too much for her to handle.
A week following the operation, on one of the nights that Lynne was at the hospital, she arrived into the ward to discover Maimouna listening to headphones, bobbing her head along to the music, and mouthing the lyrics. “I couldn’t believe it, so I did whatever I could to try to get a laugh out of her – I started dancing!” “I couldn’t believe it, so I started dancing!” According to Lynne. “Maimouna couldn’t stop laughing at anything. It was an amazing experience!”
After a fortnight had passed, Memouna came back to the dock with her father for an examination. She stayed by herself and waited on the seats outside. “Is that my Maimouna?” is the question. Then, Lynne yelled. Maimouna turned around after hearing her name and saw that Lynne was not only strolling but rather dancing up to her. “It’s you, you’re here!” “It’s you, you’re here!” Lynne jumped up and down and cheered while waving her arms in the air.
Maimouna tried her best to stifle her laughter by clapping her hands and covering her lips with her palm, but she was unsuccessful.
The removal of Maimouna’s tumor is the first step toward her bodily and spiritual recovery, and it signals the beginning of the healing process.
