A 45-year-old woman has had a debilitating, orange-sized tumour surgically removed from her jaw for free after she was spotted on the side of the road by volunteers from international charity Mercy Ships, passing through her village in Madagascar.
Unable to afford surgery, mother-of-four Marie Elisa had lived with the growing tumour for five years. The condition forced her to stop farming and left her family struggling financially.
“It broke my heart to see her struggling every day,” says Claude, Marie Elise’s husband of twenty years. “Because the tumour was painful and kept growing.”
The Royal London Hospital’s Maxillofacial Head and Neck Surgeon, Leo Cheng, was one of two surgeons to perform the complex surgery on board the floating hospital, the Africa Mercy, in Madagascar.
“Without surgery, Marie Elisa’s tumour would have continued to grow, reducing her ability to eat, speak and swallow,” explains Leo. “Her condition was already causing severe weight loss and would gradually have compromised her breathing and ability to eat.
“If Marie Elisa had been living in the UK, she would have had immediate access to specialist treatment through the NHS. This is why I continue to volunteer with Mercy Ships as there are so many women, men and children, like Marie Elisa, who need access to life-changing surgery.”
What began as a simple toothache at age 40 became relentless pain that drove Marie Elisa to a pharmacy in Berangotra, a village in central Madagascar, where she was given pain relievers.
Marie Elisa recalled: “The painkillers helped for a time. The swelling started, and it just kept getting bigger until it reached this point.”
As the tumour grew, she could no longer farm, and her family lost their income. This forced her youngest daughter to drop out of school.
"I could no longer work in the fields or sell at the market," she said. "And my daughter had to stop school because I couldn't pay her fees."
Every day, Marie Elisa walked to her local church to pray. “I’m praying to Jesus to be healthy and able to work again,” she explained.
Desperate for relief, she turned to traditional healers, but the tumour continued to grow. Though a doctor recommended surgery, the cost was far beyond her means.
In January 2024, a patient selection team from Mercy Ships was travelling across Madagascar to find patients for free surgeries on board the hospital ship the Africa Mercy, docked in Toamasina. During their journey, a cyclone in northern Madagascar disrupted their plans, forcing the team to take an unplanned route.
Driving through a small village they had not intended to visit, they noticed a woman with a visible tumour walking by the market – Marie Elisa.
“We saw Marie Elisa walking through the market and three of us yelled, ‘Stop the bus!’” recalled Maddy Hartung, an Australian volunteer nurse.
They stepped off the bus, weaving through the curious crowd, introducing themselves, and sharing photos of patients who had received life-changing surgery on the ship.
“We explained that we’d seen someone we might be able to help,” Maddy said. “The whole village turned, pointing at Marie Elisa, rushing over to bring her to meet us.”
The team set up a temporary clinic on the village chief’s front porch to examine Marie Elisa, explaining the possibility of free surgery. Though initially cautious, she took a leap of faith. “I was sick and willing to risk it – I had nothing to lose,” she said.
Emboldened by the possibility of free healthcare, Marie Elisa mentioned that her husband, Claude, had an eye issue. After the assessment, the team found him eligible for eye surgery. Both were ultimately scheduled for free surgeries on the Africa Mercy, albeit at separate times.
“She was meant to be on that side of the road; God had a plan for her,” Maddy reflected.
Marie Elisa travelled for three days to Toamasina to the ship. Her husband waited for her at home.
“With her so far away, all I could do was pray,” says Claude. “I kept saying, ‘Oh God, please heal my wife and free her from this illness.’”
Due to severe weight loss from the tumour, the doctors put Marie Elisa on a nutrition programme to regain strength. Weeks later, she was cleared for surgery.
She received care from volunteer crew onboard including UK and US maxillofacial and head and neck surgeons, Leo Cheng and Dr Gary Parker.
“I thank God the tumour was removed and I’m healthy again. The surgery went well, and now I can eat normally without any issues,” Marie Elisa shared eagerly, ready to return home after her successful operation.
When Marie Elisa returned home safely, her husband Claude was relieved: "I am happy that she is doing well and has not suffered any discomfort since coming home from surgery. I have always loved her, even with this disease."
A few weeks later, it was Claude’s turn for surgery to remove a cyst from his left eye – a condition that had affected him for five years. This time, Marie Elisa returned to the ship not as a patient, but as his caregiver.
When Claude was discharged, the couple was filled with hope for the future. Having supported each other through very difficult times, Claude and Marie Elise understand what true devotion means. “My message to other couples,” says Claude, “is to love one another.”
