The Faces of Hope

Plastics patients and family with their surgeon and nurses

Recently we invited our patients from the first round of plastic surgeries to come back to the ship for a final evaluation and to say goodbye and thank you to their surgeons and nurses. It was such a blessing to see them with new life and new hope because of their surgeries. Some faces stand out most clearly in my mind. I would like to introduce you to them:

Sabrina and Brenda



Sabrina and Brenda

Sabrina and Brenda are sisters. They were both born with congenital syndactyly. Each of their feet only had three toes, with a large cleft between the large toe and the other two, looking something like a bird's feet. Some of their fingers were also fused together. 

I met Sabrina first. I was the nurse to admit her to the ward with her mother before her surgery. Sabrina and her mother were concerned for the welfare of the younger sister who was still at home, and was scheduled to come to the ship two days later. Because both daughters had been born deformed, the family had been ostracized, and there was no one to make sure that she would make it to the ship safely.

Of course, we made sure that Brenda did indeed make it to the ship and both girls had their surgeries. The surgeon closed the cleft in both girls feet, giving them feet that would look more "normal", though missing a few toes. The surgeon also separated Sabina's thumb and forefinger which had been fused together since birth, giving her a hand that was more functional and also looked more "normal".

Me with Sabrina, Brenda, and their Mother

 

A few days after their surgery, various members of their family began to visit, including their father. The girls were in the hospital for six weeks, and then they went home to a family that now accepted them.

They returned to the ship with bright smiles and new shoes on their feet. Shoes. On feet that looked like feet, even with open toed dress shoes.

 

Wearing Shoes!

Prince and Eli

Prince

Eli

Prince and Eli are twelve year old boys who both suffered from severe burns which resulted in burn contractures. Eli's hand was burned when he was only three years old, and what was left of his hand had fused closed into a fist. Prince had also suffered burns which had caused burn contractures to his wrist, leaving him unable to use his hand properly. The boys both received surgery to free their fingers and  were both so excited to see their hands, with the individual fingers separated and free. Eli's hand had been so severely burned that he had lost the top half of his fingers, but the surgeon separated out each individual finger to give him a better ability to grasp objects. Both boys were full of fun and laughter, and life was always an adventure with the two of them together on the ward.

Prince and Eli having fun on the ward

Prince and I

Eli goofing off in the ward

Neither boy liked the physical therapy exercises that they had to do to strengthen and stretch their fingers or the dressing changes which were painful, but they were so happy to have the use of their fingers once again. After spending a little more than a month on the ship, they both went home. They returned to see us one last time with hands healed and bright smiles, a reflection of a brighter hope for their lives.

Prince showing off his hand

Eli giving a thumbs up

Faces like these are why I wake up every day with a smile, knowing that I get to go to work, and serve these beautiful people.  Faces like these make everything worthwhile.