Dr. Joan Ross
A little over 10 years ago, Sarnia surgeon Dr. Joan Ross watched a documentary that would have a profound and long-lasting impact on her life. She was in the midst of spending a weekend at Great White Lodge with her family when she stumbled upon a documentary about Mercy Ships, an international charity operating a hospital ship that travels to improvished nations to provide life-altering medical treatment and surgeries for free. She encountered people with severe illnesses, deformities and tumours. She also saw a dedicated crew of volunteer surgeons making these people’s dreams come true. She knew she had to get involved. She waited a few years until her children were older before she committed to a mission aboard a Mercy Ship.
In May of 2014 Dr. Ross took a 17 hr. flight to the Congo where Mercy Ships was currently operating. She spent two weeks treating a never-ending supply of complex medical cases involving hernias and skin lumps. While Dr. Ross had done these same procedures in Canada, these surgeries in the Congo often took longer because the growths involved had been neglected for a while. The patients were extremely grateful for the medical treatment.
Aside from treating patients, Mercy Ships trains local health practitioners as well as assists in creating local agricultural, sanitation and infrastructure programs. There are 450 volunteers from over 50 nations and the ship has five operating rooms. Volunteers pay their way to go and the average cost for a volunteer is $2,000. The non-medical volunteer positions include captain, engineer, housekeeping, kitchen, hostess to welcome patients, drivers etc. Surgeons usually volunteer for two weeks and nurses for three months.
To donate to this cause, go to www. mercyships.org