Mariama

Seven-month-old Mariama is a lively, healthy baby except for a severe cleft that strains her smile and makes eating nearly impossible. Her parents worried for their little girl’s future. 

Since Mariama’s village had little access to medical care, locals directed Mariama’s father, Mamadou, to Senegal’s capital city in hopes that the hospital there would be able to help her.

Unfortunately, once he was in Dakar, Mamadou was still unable to find healing for his little girl. Eventually, he heard about the Africa Mercy docked in the port of Dakar, which was full of our volunteer medical professionals offering life-changing surgeries to those in need.

One week after signing up for the screening with Mercy Ships, Mamadou received a phone call announcing that his daughter had been approved for surgery. “I give thanks to God first, and I am very grateful to Mercy Ships,” Mamadou said. “I’m happy. Thank you!”

Thanks to friends like you, Mariama received her life-changing surgery. Once she had recovered, Mariama was finally able to return home with a healthy future ahead of her.