Adele is one such patient that requires this care. A few years ago, a malignant tumor began to form on the right side of her face. Because of the unattractive appearance of the growth, she was abandoned by her husband. She now lives with and is cared for by her daughter, who has learned to effectively clean and dress the seeping lumps. “When I look at Adele, I am amazed that someone who has something that severe can still be singing God’s praises and laughing,” said June. Principles of basic hygiene, nutrition, pain control, and medication administration are taught to the patients and their closest family member or caregiver. Appropriate pain medication that they cannot afford is provided by Mercy Ships. Though June and her team bring physical relief, the emotional and spiritual healing that takes place is also notable.
“We’ve had numerous examples in this outreach of people telling us that they were initially hiding away, but when we came, we somehow gave them a level of value that they had not had before,” explained June. “We have watched people that were depressed become more joyful.”
Burkitt’s lymphoma is a type of cancer that occurs mainly among young children in equatorial Africa. If diagnosed and treated early on, the cancer can be completely eradicated. Seven-year-old Maurice recently began his first treatment of chemotherapy to combat this disease. June and her team visit Maurice and his mother on a weekly basis. Though he transfers between his aunt’s house and a local hospital in Cotonou to undergo nauseating chemotherapy, he manages to remain joyful, joking and laughing with June, Suzanne and Tanguy as they visit.
“The thing I enjoy most about my job is that we make difficult situations easier for each person we treat,” said June. However, the job is not without its challenges and frustrations. June explained that her team does not always get the cooperation that they would like. “Maurice’s doctor does not share information with us, so it makes things difficult because we feel more could be done if we were kept in the loop.”
When all the signs indicate that a patient is terminal, there is concern for how the patient will cope when Mercy Ships leaves at the end of an outreach. “A month before the departure, we start transitioning the patient and their caregivers” said June. “For example, if we are providing them with supplies that cannot be obtained here, we will start to teach them what other things can be used and where they can be acquired,” she elaborated.
“We also try to find a church where people are willing to come and pray for and read Scripture with the patient. It’s hard to leave, but we’ve never left anyone that wasn’t being transferred to some level of sustainable care,” June concluded.
Working in the field of palliative care, death is always present. It is an area of work that can be emotionally draining and traumatic. In the event of a patient’s passing, June and her team function as a support-base by grieving with the deceased’s family and loved ones and maintaining relationships with them.
The Palliative Care Team has shared God’s model of compassionate care and its importance with over 500 church leaders in Benin. Through the continued efforts of June and her team, Adele, Maurice, and other patients will continue to experience hope in a dignified and comfortable manner.
