Victorya Faith was not only my last patient, but also the very last patient to be discharged onboard the Anastasis, before the new Africa Mercy arrives in 9 days! Victorya came to us as "baby girl" at 9 days old. She was born with a gigantic Teratome on her buttock (kind of like a huge tissue filled cyst; could possibly be from twins gone wrong in utero); it weighed 1/3 of her weight and was as big as her torso!
Her mom, Grace, took her to a doctor up country when she was 3 days old but they told her to wait until she was 7 months old and then bring her back.. Her mom went with her motherly instinct and took a chance on a rumor she heard about a hospital ship in Monrovia. She traveled 7 hrs and was found outside the port walls by a crew member, who had compassion on her and brought her to our Medical coordinator for assistance. In 7 months it would be too late for "baby girl"said Dr. Tertius, so she was admitted and fit onto the surgical schedule right away.
The first time I unwrapped her from her cloth lappa, I have to admit I was taken back by how BIG and deformed it looked and overwhelmed by just how tiny she was! The smallest baby to have MAJOR surgery I've taken care of so far. Through her stay I kept getting assigned to her and we became very close. I was excited to come down one morning at the start of my shift and see that because she had survived and was doing well, her mother had decided it safe to name her... the woman who found them at the port walls was asked to name her and fittingly so she is now called Victorya Grace :) She is a fighter! During her time here she developed an infection causing wound breakdown, but with constant wound care with honey, algae, and lots of prayers... she is doing great and should be completely healed within the next 2 weeks. God is good.
