Mercy Ships Palliative Care Team

They work with the family members not only to care for, and love, the person who is considered to be cursed in some ways, but they also care for the family even beyond the eventual death of the individual. The work they do with the families goes beyond the mental, social, spiritual side of palliative care, but also through helping overcome the loss of income that results from the patient’s illness and ostracism. This team helps the families who need to develop a business and grow that business through knowledge, planning and coordination of resources. These nurses hike mountains, literally, in the heat of African where they show that hugging a person whose wound emanates a horrific stench will not infect them with a curse when handled properly. They bring music and dancing back into homes that have set aside the joys of their own culture. They work with day crew to learn the language and culture and travel miles every day to go out to the patients. They bring LIFE abundantly as they share faith in a tangible loving way that does not turn their nose up at the most heartbreaking of situations.