Aissa.

Noma. The face of poverty. Named after the Greek word “nomein” literally meaning to devour. Noma is a devastating disease selective to those mainly between the ages of 2 and 14 living in extreme poverty- where basic nutrition and medical attention is either unaffordable or completely unavailable. Noma usually occurs from normal bacteria in the mouth taking over when the immune system is severely suppressed- malnutrition being the culprit in most cases. Beginning as a small wound, similar in appearance to a pimple, within a few days to a few weeks the disease progresses to a severely disfiguring condition where facial tissue, muscle, and bone may be completely destroyed. Noma is easily cured with a few doses of Penicillin and if treated in the beginning stages, scarring is minimal. Without treatment, Noma has a mortality rate of roughly 90%. The 10% that do survive rarely have good function of their jaw and or ability to chew and are left to live as social outcasts.

Noma was last seen in the developed world during World War II among those imprisoned in concentration camps subjected to the extreme conditions there within…. Present-day, in the same world where Americans spend approximately 12.2 billion dollars annually on health care for their house pets, millions of African children are dying from not getting enough food in their bellies- and the ravaging diseases malnourishment allows.

…And this is where I would like to introduce you to Aissa…. Aissa is a six year old girl from Cameroon. She was abandoned by her parents- but taken in and cared for by her grandmother. Aissa is one of the 33 million children in Africa that does not get enough daily nutrition; unfortunately in her case she was so malnourished her body’s immune system was nearly non-existent making her susceptible to the devastating effects of Noma. Aissa was first brought into the Meskine hospital in Cameroon. She was found outside the hospital pharmacy, emaciated with a rag covering her face and a cloud of flies swarming above her. She was about to be turned away from the hospital as Aissa’s grandmother did not have money to pay for treatment and the hospital lacked the funding necessary, but the Medical Centers of West Africa stepped in and offered to pay for Aissa’s treatment. Had she have gone home, death would have soon ensued. Four days after Aissa's arrival to Meskine Hospital
Aissa two weeks after treatment was started
Aissa's first trip back to her village
Treatment was started and the infection was cleared, but much work was still needed as Aissa was left with a large hole on the side of her face. A couple of months ago, referred by one of our current Physician Assistants- Sarah Root, and with travel funded by the organization “Willing and Abel”, Aissa and her uncle traveled from Cameroon all the way to Togo to get free reconstructive surgery on the Africa Mercy… and that began our relationship with Aissa.

Aissa upon arrival to the Africa Mercy
Our hearts melted for her and the hard life she has had, but Aissa's hospital stay came with a good amount of initial difficulty. The ward can be a very scary place for patients that have never been away from home.... And Aissa was having a hard time coping with the change and exhibited her stress through a few seemingly unending spitting and crying temper tantrums a day. She was one of our most challenging patients- on top of our inability to communicate with her as none of our staff is Cameroonian.... Aissa was a child in need of love, safety, and acceptance. We discussed her care and made loving guidelines for her. We gave her as much love as we could while setting healthy boundaries for her... and slowly we watched her transformation.
The operating team with Aissa
As we closed the hole in her face, we watched her heart heal. She soaked up the love. Aissa's temper tantrums became much less and much shorter, she began interacting well with other children, and cooperated with her care. Mainly through charades, a few words here and there, and many hugs, we developed a relationship with Aissa. She stayed with us for quite sometime, with her bed in “A” ward- and the ongoing joke became, “A-ward is for Aissa”. It was beautiful to watch the healing process in Aissa. She now has a new face and another chance at life… And out of it all, what was the best medicine for Aissa???? Love, love, and more love. She has had a short and hard life and it seems like all she wants now is to play, to be cared for, and to be loved. She has become part of our family.

*Pictures and history prior to arrival at Mercy Ships courtesy of Sarah Root

"A-ward is for Aissa"

Aissa with Sarah Root during a dressing change after getting her graft