The Hospitality Centre

Hi everyone

Sorry for not updating for a while life has been a little hetic and finding time to write has been a little hard lately! We have been trying to complete as many operations as possible in the last week or so as we are having a black out during this weekend and then next weekend we are moving the ship down the harbour for refueling so we are rushing them thru and hoping to get as many patients off the wards as possible. At the moment any patients we have left are being moved to our hospitality centre. This is an abandoned warehouse that Mercy Ships has converted into a hostel type place for our patients who are usually pre and post op that live away from Cotonou where the ship is docked. It makes it easier if they need to come back to the ship for any type of follow up etc. It has around 40 beds and patients usually only stay there for a few days while transport is organised for them to get back home.

The other day a few of my friends and I went and visited some of our VVF ladies who have been discharged and are waiting for transport back up north to their villages. We ended up having a nail painting party with them and painted I dont know how many finger nails and toes! Was so much fun to just spend time with some of them off the ward and be able to take photos with them (we aren't allowed to take photos on the ward, which is understandable). I even had my nails painted, it certainly was no pedicure or manicure but it was pretty cool!

These ladies are very special despite all the adversities that life has thrown at them and they all have some amazing and unique stories to tell. They have really touched my heart while I have been here and I have loved looking after them so I'm a little sad to hear that we have fininshed all of our VVF surgeries for the year. We still have a few of them left in the ward at the moment but they will all be leaving in the next week or two. Mercy ships actually have a permanent land base in Sierra Leone for VVF patients so you just never know I may just end up there at some stage.

Well until next time and I promise no to take as long!

Beccy