Aissa, Aissa, Aissa

Aissa is a little feisty 6 year old from Cameroon who has been the life and joy of A ward for many weeks. the little one has changed and grown so much in her time here. having been abandoned by her parents at the age of 3, and left in the care of her grandparents. then developing Noma, an oral infection that led to horrifying disfigurement. Sarah a doctor working in Cameroon, new about mercy ships and our plastic surgeons and brought Aissa to the ship.

  

when Aissa first suffered with Noma (read on to find out more)

after 3 months treatment in a hospital in Cameroon

when she first arrived in Mercy Ships 

 

On leaving Mercy Ships with her new cheek.

 Maybe with one more surgery with us in Sierra Leone next year.

The last weeks have been a complete roller coaster ride in A ward. Aissa came to us terrified, scared, frightened. no one could speak her language, except Sarah who couldn't be on the ward the whole time. she had obviously had the run of the village all of her short life, as discipline and the word no wasn't something that she was used to. so as we and her uncle that came with her tried to move her away from dangerous cupboards with medicines in, she didn't understand and trashed and tantrumed and cried and shrieked back at us. one minute she would come running up to you and hug you so tight, the next bite you when she didn't get her own way. she made your heart burst with love on one hand but want to run far away at the first sign of anger. but regardless of we loved on her. we did everything we could to show this little girl that she was beautiful, accepted, valued, loved and wanted. 

  

Slowly, slowly, slowly the tantrums, so loud that we winced, got less and less; a few times a day to a few times a week, to almost never. the boundaries she grew to understand, the arts and crafts, kisses and cuddles, puppets, and jobs gave her the chance to be a little girl again. she even began to mother some of the other siblings on the ward, picking them up and comforting them.

 

Noma is an opportunitic infection from the bacteria in the mouth, that develops into acute gangernous infection of the face, destroying lips, noses, cheeks and eyes. Cured with simple antibiotics, but with extreme poverty and malnutrition this infection runs wild in west africa. Mainly in the under 6, beginning as a simple ulcer, which if picked up early enough can be treated easily, but usually progresses to Noma within days. With the face eating bacteria (cancrum oris) destroying the tissues leaving gaping holes in the face and resulting scar tissue and contractures.  According to the World Health Organisation, there are 140,000 new cases of Noma each year, with only 10% of noma cases surviving, most cases adding to the high infant mortality figures. 

 

Aissa came to the ship needing a new cheek; the loveable huggable 6 year old from Cameroon left saying 

'I love you',  'I am beautiful', 

with a new leap in her step, and a promise of new hope.

so i will join with Ali, the cry of all of our hearts here....

We love you, each one of you who comes up our gangway with all your hurts and all your fears. We see the image of God in your scarred faces. We see the Carpenter hands of Christ in your twisted fingers, His feet in your bent ones. We love you and we want to throw our arms around you and let that love break through your pain. We want to shelter you here.

waving goodbye to the nurses before leaving the ward.

with Sarah on her way home, with her new cheek!