Story and photos by Rachel Gwole George
For John Toe, the past year has been filled with sleepless nights, watching his baby boy cry in agony. Emmanuel has a congenital hernia, a defect in the abdomen, so the little boy has been in discomfort since birth.
“Because the baby is suffering, sometimes we can’t sleep for the whole night,” says John. “The way I look at it, God will help the people, they will do the work.”
Emmanuel is one of a set of twins, born into a farming family in a remote Liberian community. With eight siblings and parents who rely on agriculture for their livelihood, access to healthcare is a challenge. It was during a medical outreach that his condition was identified by the county health team.
Recognizing the severity of his hernia, they arranged for him to go to JJ Dossen Hospital in Harper, a regional facility supported by regular Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) flights.
Dr. Gerald Ekwem, one of the surgeons at JJ Dossen Hospital, understands how critical early surgical intervention is for children like Emmanuel.
“One of the things that excites me is seeing people’s lives transformed just by the little surgery and the work we do,” he says. “Some people come in with life-threatening conditions, and with the knowledge and ability we have, we can get them back on their feet and return them home. It’s fulfilling to see people get back to their normal lives and back to their communities.”
JJ Dossen Hospital is a crucial medical facility in the southeast of Liberia, performing lifesaving surgeries each month. Regular flights from MAF’s base in the capital, Monrovia, to Harper in the nation’s southeast transport staff, patients, and essential supplies.
“MAF is truly helping us move our patients from Monrovia and back, and a lot of those patients would not have made it, if they had not gone by air,” Dr. Ekwem says.
“MAF has helped us in so many ways. We had issues with our suction machines, they were all broken down because of the volume of cases we have, and we ordered some. I think MAF brought them to Harper. Just imagine if they have to go by road. Without MAF, we would have lost valuable surgical days.
“Every time I hear their plane flying, I say, ‘That’s MAF,’ and I just start praying, ‘Father, bless the pilot and let them reach safely.’ MAF is part of our family here in the southeast. Without them, many things wouldn’t be possible.”
During the busy morning of surgery, Dr. Ekwem not only repaired Emmanuel’s hernia but also performed a circumcision, in accordance with the family’s preference, recognizing that returning for a separate procedure would be difficult.
Dr. Ekwem sees his work as more than just a profession; for him, it’s a calling.
“I’m a Christian too. So that’s also part of my motivation, I believe that we have been given a gift by God and we have the responsibility to also help humanity by helping them get good health with the abilities God has given us,” he says.
For Emmanuel’s dad, the work of the doctors and nurses is a huge inspiration.
“If he grows up strong, I would love for him to get an education, maybe even become a doctor someday, to help others the way he was helped today,” says John.
*The MAF program in Liberia is operated jointly by MAF International and MAF-US.
