The life of a 17-year-old girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo hung in the balance by a huge swelling in her lower jaw. Fortunately, doctors from the world's largest hospital ship came to the rescue of the African woman.
At the age of seven, a girl from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Grace, developed gum swelling. Seeing the growing tumor, Grace's mother, Christina, took her to the hospital, but the local doctors just threw up their hands in bewilderment.
“At first everything looked pretty harmless: my gums were a little swollen,” recalls the 17-year-old girl. - But then the tumor began to grow and I was taken to the hospital. But the doctors said that they could not help me with anything, because they did not know what it was. They didn't do anything."
Gradually, the neoplasm grew and, after 10 years, increased to the size of a soccer ball. Despite her condition, Grace continued to talk and eat, but stopped going to school.
“Because of illness, I didn’t go anywhere, I was always in the house. I forgot what happiness is and was afraid to think about what would happen next,”she admits.
Kristina, caring for her daughter, continued to pound the doorsteps of medical institutions, but the doctors themselves did not know how to help the unfortunate teenager.
“I didn't know what to do. The doctors thought a lot and for a long time, but they did nothing,”says the girl's mother.
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Eventually, a Christian pastor found out about Grace's illness and published her story on the church website. And then one of the readers suggested a way out of the situation, advising them to contact the doctors of the world's largest hospital ship "Mercy Ships", which provide free medical services to those in need.
After Grace was on the ship, doctors performed a CT scan and began to prepare for a risky operation.
“During a complex operation, we needed to remove Grace's mandible and separate the tumor from the healthy upper jaw,” explains surgeon Gary Parker. "We had to act quickly, as soon Grace could die of suffocation."
Fortunately, the operation was successful, and now the girl can return to normal life.
“They replaced my lower jaw with titanium plates, and in six months they will have artificial teeth. The doctors made me happy and I will learn to help other people like them someday for free,”the transformed Grace told reporters.