Mercy Ships

Every so often, you can be completely floored by learning of something new. For me, finding out about the work being done by Mercy Ships was one of those moments.

Set up in 1978, this organisation operates the largest non-governmental hospital shipping fleet in the world, providing more than 80,000 urgent operations and healthcare to people in over 70 countries. It also supports community development programmes like health education, training and mentoring for medical staff, mental health programmes, agriculture projects and palliative care for terminally ill patients. Its work is valued at more than $1bn.

Don and Deyon Stephens say they were inspired to set it up after a devastating hurricane, meeting Mother Teresa and the birth of their son John Paul, who was born with profound disabilities.

When he was sheltering from Hurricane Cleo in the Bahamas, when Don overheard someone saying that it would be wonderful if a ship could come in after the devastation to provide the necessary medical care and supplies. Over a number of years this idea took shape. With the birth of John Paul, the couple felt that they had a duty to find a way to bring medical help to people who had no access to any form of healthcare. Mother Teresa encouraged Don to follow his heart and the idea that had come to him in the Bahamas. Now thousands of people volunteer each year. You can get involved and volunteer to join one of their ships.

In sub-Saharan Africa, up to 70% of people live on less than £2 a day. Healthcare in these countries either doesn’t exist or is unaffordable to the vast majority of the population. It’s estimated 5 billion people have no access to safe, affordable surgery when they need it. Conditions requiring this kill more people in low-income countries than HIV//AIDS, TB and malaria combined.  

The Mercy Ships have helped more than 2.5 million people. There are a myriad of stories on their website that demonstrate the impact of the organisation, from giving a child a new smile by repairing his cleft palate – when the community tried to persuade his mother to reject him – to helping a father see again, meaning his son no longer has to help him walk into town and can return to school again.

You can donate to the charity here.