Images and Video

Lomé, Togo 2010 Screening Day

Filmed during Screening Day in Lomé, Togo, this video highlights the urgent need for medical help in the West African nation.

Cleft Lip and Palate Surgeries

Oscar Madohona: A New Smile

Cleft lip and palate abnormalities occur in approximately 1 in 700 live births. In developed countries, children typically receive corrective surgery before 18 months of age. Many medical professionals are involved in the child’s care – including surgeons, dentists, audiologists (hearing specialists), and speech therapists. Oscar Madohona had a cleft lip that remained unrepaired for ten years. He was born in West Africa, where a cleft abnormality can be a life-threatening condition. It is commonly believed that people with clefts are possessed by evil spirits. They are often discarded or abandoned by their families and communities. Read More...

Eye Surgeries

Now able to see, Celine’s steps are sure

Four-year-old Celine was born with congenital cataracts in both eyes, but she recently had them removed onboard the Mercy Ship in Cotonou. During the first few hours after the bandages were removed, it was obvious that the child was unaccustomed to such intense color and detail. She was just beginning to learn to see the world around her. Read more...

Darkness Lifting

For seven years, Genevieve has been the eyes for others. She gave birth to three children – two boys separated by a girl – all with cataracts in both eyes, preventing them from seeing anything but the most subtle shifts in light and shadow. Read more...

Maxillo-facial and Tumor Surgeries

Alba’s Tears

Ankosua was outside carefully mixing herbs and water to create a concoction prescribed by a traditional doctor in her village. It was mid-afternoon, and her daughter, eight-year-old Alba, was sitting alone in their home. “She should be at school right now,” she thought. Struggling to hold back tears, she poured boiling water over the crushed herbs and sieved the mixture into a cup. Read more...

Fistula Surgeries

Rebecca: From Suffering to Joy

“I was eighteen years old when this happened to me,” Rebecca says. She is speaking in her native dialect in front of dozens of people. She is wearing a new dress to symbolize her new life as she shares her story of suffering. Read more...

Orthopaedic Surgeries

Elise and Elise'

When Elise and Elise' were one year old, their parents noticed a problem with bowing of their legs. Although they were very concerned, they didn't have the means to take them to the hospital.

Daniel’s Fight

Daniel stood up for the first time when he was eight years old. He was on the Mercy Ship, with his legs in casts up to his thighs. He pitched forward on a child’s walker as he moved one foot in front of the other. Contracted hamstrings and Achilles’ tendons had prevented him from such independence before. Read more...