A ten-year-old girl from Sierra Leone is standing 14 centimetres taller after receiving free, life-transforming surgery from international charity Mercy Ships to straighten her severely bowed legs.
UK Surgeon, Rachel Buckingham, a Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Oxford University Hospitals Trust performed the four-hour surgery on board the world’s largest floating hospital, the Global Mercy.
“I will never forget the first time I met Fudia,” explains Rachel. “I could see she was struggling with the pain of her severely bowed legs. Every step was an agonising effort. Her legs were so severely twisted that walking was a daily battle.
“As a volunteer children’s orthopaedic surgeon with Mercy Ships, I’ve met many children who need urgent surgery, but something about Fudia’s quiet courage struck me deeply. Despite the suffering she’s endured – losing her parents at a very young age, being turned away from hospitals that couldn’t help her – she held on to hope.”
Through Mercy Ships, Fudia was diagnosed with Blount’s disease – a condition that causes severe leg deformities in young children and adolescents. The condition caused Fudia’s legs to bow and feet to turn inward at 90-degree angles and made walking increasingly difficult. Along with physical pain, she faced emotional distress, often feeling rejected and bullied by children due to her condition.
Her uncle and guardian, Joseph, said: “We noticed it the very first day she was born; her legs were not normal.”
Fudia’s situation became even more difficult when she tragically lost both her parents by the age of seven – her mother passed away nearly two years after her father’s death.
Reflecting on her struggles, her uncle Joseph said: “She got rejected in school by her friends and colleagues. Even after changing schools because of that, she was still suffering mockery from people.”
Efforts to alleviate her condition, such as massages in warm water, proved ineffective. Her legs continued to bow further, making it hard for her to smile or feel at ease.
Her uncle, determined to find help, took her to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, where they sought treatment at local hospitals. However, they were advised to wait for the return of Mercy Ships, an organisation that provides free surgeries and medical training from its hospital ships.
“We don’t have such specialists in this country, that was what they said,” Joseph reported. Undeterred, he moved his family to Freetown, waiting for the ship’s arrival.
In 2023 the Global Mercy docked in Freetown – six years after they began waiting.
“I was very happy when I heard the news,” Joseph shared. When she was selected for surgery, his joy was overwhelming: “I want her to be okay. I want to see her standing straight on both legs.”
Dr Belen Carsi, a Mercy Ships volunteer paediatric orthopaedic surgeon from Stoke on Trent, said: “Fudia’s legs were so deformed that her ability to walk was really limited. Her feet pointed in 90 degrees. And if left untreated, she would have stopped walking altogether.”
After a successful surgery, Joseph expressed his relief: “When I heard that her surgery was successful, I was happy thinking about the way her legs were turned before and seeing them straight now. I am really happy and overjoyed for all that has happened for Fudia.”
Fudia’s recovery was both challenging and emotional, with unexpected delays and additional wound care and rehabilitation needed. However, her resilience was evident throughout her journey.
Declan Osborne, a volunteer physical therapist who treated her, was deeply impressed by her strength: “Fudia is a strong girl. This is very impressive. It’s the longest I’ve seen any of these kids stand during their first rehab appointment after surgery.”
Following the procedure, Fudia gained approximately 14 centimetres (5.5 inches) in height. She continued to grow stronger each day.
Her aunt and caregiver, Massa, witnessed the transformation.
She said: “Fudia is no longer the way she was when she had the bowed legs. Her friends used to mock her. She was even ashamed to go to school. But now, no more shame. She plays with her friends always. She is better than before.”
Now able to walk independently and with confidence, Fudia has returned to school with hopes for the future. “I want to be a doctor so that I can help other people,” she shared.
“Fudia’s condition was severe, but treatable,” explains Rachel Buckingham. “I’m so thankful we were able to provide the right surgery, and she can now walk, run and play happily.
“Every time I volunteer with Mercy Ships, I meet so many children just like Fudia who desperately need help – and I know the surgery we provide will change their lives.”
