Here is another story written by one of the ship's writers telling about a young patient by the name of Yaya, an ortho patient who became the Prince of the Ward. Here's his story...
 |
| Yaya meets with Dr Frank |
Rather than joyous celebration, the reaction to Yaya’s birth was
broken family ties. Yaya’s mother, Salematou, and his father, Abdulaye, were
not married when their son was born. The tradition that Salematou’s father
lived by did not make room for a child born out of wedlock. Despite Salematou’s
pleading with her father to allow her to keep her child, his decision was
final. As soon as Yaya could leave his mother’s breast, he was sent to live
with Kadiatou, his grandmother on his father’s side.
Living with his grandmother turned out to be a wonderful blessing
for Yaya. Kadiatou personifies the bottomless heart and limitless space that
African grandmothers offer their children and their children’s children. She
assumes whatever responsibility comes her way, no matter the burden. Kadiatou
explains, “There are many mouths that I feed in my family. In addition to Yaya,
five of my children and their nine children need my support too. Everyone
shares in the work of the household, but earning income in Conakry is very
difficult. My husband now, Mamadouba, is very old. He gives what money he can,
but he has family to support too.”
Yaya stole his grandmother’s heart from day one. His ready smile
and eagerness to be close to her formed a thick bond. When tragedy struck Yaya,
Kadiatou was distraught. “Yaya started walking when he was one year old, but
after taking a few steps he would fall. We tried many traditional medicines,
but his condition grew worse. At eighteen months, his legs started to twist and
curl up. They failed him entirely.”
Yaya’s uncle, also named Yaya, remembers this as a time of many
trials for his mother. “Kadiatou was so afraid for Yaya. He often had a
high fever, and his legs would cramp up terribly. He would cry for hours from
the pain. Kadiatou tried everything to soothe him. She held him for hours. Then
my father and sister died very close together. My mother’s heart was broken
into so many pieces.”
 |
| Yaya becomes a favorite on the wards |
Kadiatou, who had taken in her daughter’s five children, decided
that moving the family to Conakry, the capital of Guinea, was best for Yaya. “I
hoped that the medical care Yaya needed was in a big city. As well, I knew that
Conakry had schools for handicapped children that Yaya could attend.” Another
important reason for the move was that Kadiatou was protecting Yaya from the
villagers who thought that children with disabilities were cursed. She would
not stand for her grandson being tormented, ridiculed, or forced into hiding.
When Yaya reached five years of age, he started attending the
school for handicapped children. “I was so happy for Yaya. He started to learn
his letters and bring home things he made,” Kadiatou says. Although there were
no school fees and transportation was provided, Kadiatou still had expenses to
cover, like school supplies. She made ends meet by going to the Grand Mosque
daily and helping with cleaning and cooking. After a full year of being a
volunteer, she was finally included in the group that received a weekly
stipend, plus donations of money and food from appreciative people attending
the Mosque.
Yaya often joined Kadiatou at the Mosque after school, and he soon
became a favorite with everyone. In the Muslim faith, people are eager to help
the needy as a way of observing sadaqah,
the duty to overcome miserliness. Many Muslims wanted Yaya to join the group of
handicapped people who begged, so that people could give to him. Kadiatou was
against Yaya’s doing this, regardless of the enormous struggle she had to
support the family. “I faced so much pressure to allow Yaya, in such obvious
need, to help people fulfill their duty to sadaqah.
I finally relented,” she explains.
 |
| Physical therapy on deck 7 |
Kadiatou continued to be distressed with Yaya’s participating in sadaqah. She prayed that Yaya would get
his education and find an occupation where he could use his sharp mind and very
able hands. Kadiatou had many doubts about her prayer being answered, but she
remained faithful, clutching that thin bit of hope to her heart.
Yaya himself dared not hope. But then an incredible set of
circumstances unfolded around him. Nick Veltjens, who worked with orthopedic
patients, saw Yaya at the patient screening location the day before
consultations began. “I waited all screening day for Yaya to come because I
thought we could help him. We didn’t see him that day, so I sent an email
around asking if anyone knew where he was.”
 |
In two long leg casts,
Yaya takes his first steps |
According to Yaya, “I did go to the screening with my friend, but
I lost my courage.” Yaya left without being examined.
The next day, Dan Bergman, a long-term hospital volunteer, came to
Nick with a video of a possible orthopedic patient that he had just seen
outside the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic. According to Nick, “What a coincidence
that Dan found the same little guy that I was looking for!”
For Dan, this series of events said loud and clear that, “God
wanted Yaya to find Mercy Ships. He kept putting him in front of us!” Dan
tracked Yaya down at the Mosque and delivered the news that he had an
appointment at the hospital ship.
But Yaya missed his appointment. As he says, “I did not believe I
could be healed, and so I did not want to tell my grandmother to bring me. She
would be too disappointed.” But another divine coincidence occurred that
finally put Yaya and Mercy Ships together. A government official, Cellou, who
had befriended Yaya at the Mosque, was at the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic that
same week. He casually asked what a young boy with deformed legs needed to do
to get an appointment. It was quickly realized that the boy in question was
Yaya and that he just needed someone to bring him to his appointment.
Cellou immediately went to Yaya’s grandmother with the news about
Yaya’s appointment. They agreed that Cellou would go to the hospital ship with
the boy. When Kadiatou received the telephone call from Cellou telling her that
Yaya was accepted for surgery, she experienced a mixture of emotions. “I was so
grateful that Yaya could be helped. It was all that I had prayed for. But I was
also very uncertain and afraid. I wondered how it would be possible to fix Yaya’s
legs and what he would go through.”
Dr. Frank Haydon, volunteer orthopedic surgeon, was able to fix
Yaya’s legs. According to Dr. Frank, “The condition that Yaya was born with
caused his bones to be very brittle. As he started to walk, the pressure on the
bones caused multiple fractures. The surgery he had aligned his leg bones
properly, and the two rods I installed will give his legs the needed strength
and structure so he can walk.”
Each day Yaya does grow stronger. He is starting to take his own steps
with the help of a walker, and he has progressed to simple below-the-knee leg
casts. But at the same time, each day wears on Kadiatou. She shows the strain
of being away from family and being indebted to more and more neighbors. She
has borrowed money from them for food and malaria medication. However,
regardless of the hardship, Kadiatou’s commitment to see Yaya through his
healing journey is unwavering. “I would endure anything so Yaya can do what he
longs to do more than anything else – play football. By suffering for Yaya and
my family now, I know that there will be great happiness in the future,” she
says.
 |
| The casts come off! |
According to his uncle, Yaya’s journey to hope and healing is
summed up in a few words: “Yaya is so loved by everyone on Mercy Ships.” And,
still, even with so many kind hearts embracing Yaya, there is one who continues
to occupy the most special place in his heart. As clear as a bell, Yaya
declares, “I love my Grandmother so much! She has done everything for me.”
Written by Joanne Thibault
Edited by Nancy Predaina
Photos by Debra Bell and Michelle Murrey
Yaya's bright energy & personality made the ward light up. He spent a good many months with us & it was amazing to watch his transformation. He has gone to the Hope Center, a place off ship for patients that need follow up visits but don't need round the clock nursing care on the ship. Things are a tad bit quieter now that he's not here :)
Blessings
.JPG)
.JPG)
