We are similar ages, but our lives are worlds apart. As Lalao shared
her story with me, I was shocked by the injustices she encountered
before finally receiving her healing!
It seemed like a small thing, so Lalao paid scant attention to the
small bump on her face. Instead of disappearing over time as she
expected, the swelling on the Malagasy school teacher’s face grew and
grew. Over 14 years the benign tumour developed until it resembled a
huge bag of marbles hanging from her cheek. The growth did not hurt, and
amazingly her school children just ignored the strange sight. Lalao and
her husband Albert are well-liked and respected by their small
community, so people looked beyond her odd appearance. Lalo simply
donned a scarf and continued to go about the village.
The day came when Lalao’s burden prevented her from turning her head
to the right. She was unable to sleep comfortably. She could no longer
help in the garden to provide food for their family. So the 50-year-old
began searching for help to eradicate the parotid tumor taking over her
life.
Lalao and Albert traveled to a city hospital and were assured Lalao
was a candidate for surgery. They paid five years’ savings up front for
the operation then went home to await the appointment. They waited and
waited, finally returning to the facility only to be told it was no
longer possible to perform the operation. The couple were not able to
retrieve their payment, and were sent to another hospital. Again they
paid 400,000 Ariary-ariary to be added to the surgical list. Again, the
promised appointment never eventuated. Their finances were exhausted and
Lalao was deeply discouraged. She gave up hope of ever finding help,
but Albert was determined to keep looking.
The couple were astonished when a sick baby from their village
returned from the Mercy Ship with his tumor completely gone. They
watched a TV program about Mercy Ships and knew they had found their
answer at last.
Lalao went to a Mercy Ships screening day in the nearest city but the
number of hopefuls already in line seemed endless. She returned the
next day, and again there were hundreds of people ahead of her in the
line. They had disabilities and conditions she had never seen before.
Lalao was encouraged, “They can treat people like me!” she thought.
“Even if I have to be in line for two weeks, I’m going to wait!”
So Lalao joined the line at three the next morning. It was cold in
the mountains, and at least two hundred people were waiting before her.
Eight hours later Lalao gave her medical history to the team. She was
carefully examined and in 90 minutes she held the treasured appointment
card in her hand.
The sale of a precious pig paid for their transport to the Mercy Ship
docked at the coast. After so many disappointments, hope and healing
was finally at hand.
Lalao was full of smiles as she prepared for surgery. The next
morning she managed to say, “It was not painful! I just woke up and it
was gone!”
Albert is overjoyed his wife is rid of the 5kg (11 pound) growth.
“The way Mercy Ships is working is simple and really good,” he says. “It
is so amazing they could remove it in one surgery. I was so happy I
cried when Lalao came back from the operating room.”
In just a few days Lalao could see great improvement. “It’s looking
good,” she said. “Now I can turn my head! Before surgery I couldn’t look
to the right. I am free of that big mass. I am very, very happy. I’m in
good health and now I can turn my neck.”
“When we go back home we will share this story in the village,”
promises Albert. “Everyone knew what the tumor was like – it had been
there for 15 years! We will tell people Mercy Ships removed the tumor
and if you have this kind of problem they can help you too.”
From my western perspective I was a bit disappointed, wishing Lalao’s
result was more perfect. Her facial muscles had been stretched by the
enormous weight that hung on them for so long, and her nerves needed to
heal. She declared, “I am happy! Very, very, very happy. My face will
need some exercise!” Her crooked half-smile masked her utter
contentment.
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