Many of us have injuries, stretch marks or war wounds – all of which
leave behind a story in the form of a scar. We might try and hide these
blemishes to avoid re-living the battle. But what happens when your
scars become the focal point of your life?
It was a normal Tuesday afternoon for 42 year old Leon, catching a
lift on the back of a friend’s motorcycle. Racing through traffic, the
driver swerved to avoid oncoming vehicles as they made their way across
the city. All of a sudden they lost control and Leon was thrown from
the bike. Given the extent of his friend’s life threatening injuries,
Leon counted himself lucky to only walk away with flesh wounds around
his jaw. With the hospital closed and little money to spend on
treatment, Leon made the long journey back home to his remote village.
Little did he know that leaving his injuries to heal without medical
attention would result in a keloid tumor of scar tissue that would grow
larger and heavier every day.
Fifteen years later, unable to access the care that he needed, life
with this wife and eight children had become increasingly difficult. He
pushed through and continued working on a cocoa farm to support his
family, but it was no easy feat: “There are certain things I just can’t
do at work, like using a chainsaw. It’s just too uncomfortable for me”
said Leon. “It brings me down that I can’t do my job properly”.
Word of mouth brought Leon to Mercy Ships, as his wife and children
waited eagerly for his return to his village. Back home he was used to
being mocked, the taunting voices becoming a part of everyday life:
“There are few people left that empathize with me anymore. I am sad and
not really living my life, but rather coping with life”.
The tumor, which was one of the largest keloid tumors the plastic
surgeon had ever operated on, was successfully removed and a skin graft
used to patch up the remaining wound around his jaw. But surgery alone
could not remove the emotional baggage that had grown around Leon’s
heart. Before long a smile began to spread across his face, where once
there was sadness. The scar tissue that had grown from years of torment
and ridicule began to break away: “I feel lighter” he proclaims, “like a
weight has been lifted and not just because of the physical tumor. My
burden has been removed”.
As the time drew closer for Leon to return home, he pictured his
reunion with his family: “My younger children won’t recognize me,
they’ve never seen me without my condition!” he exclaimed. Leon’s tumor
had determined how he’d felt for a very long time; different, rejected
and displeasing. But after time on the Africa Mercy, those feelings were exchanged for assurance, acceptance and contentment.
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