Surgery saves newborn's life

Imagine being born into this world struggling to breathe. You’ve been protected and nurtured inside your mother for nine months.  Then, all of a sudden, you are thrust into bright lights, gasping for air.

Born in Kpalime, Togo, that’s exactly what Kossi experienced.  Akoua, Kossi’s mother, struggled during labor and required a cesarean section.  Complications arose the moment Kossi arrived in this world.

A cystic lesion on the top of Kossi’s tongue made it twice the size of a normal newborn’s tongue.  Because the lesion inhibited breastfeeding, Kossi could not gain weight and, in fact, would starve death if his tongue could not be operated on. Their local doctor could not provide the treatment Kossi needed.  So he called his friends at Mercy Ships where one of the surgeons managed to find surgery time in a very tight schedule.

Only hours after entering this world, Kossi received approval for surgery onboard the Africa Mercy. As soon as Akoua felt strong enough , the family travelled three hours to the ship in the port of Lomé.

Ship’s nurses couldn’t resist the newborn on the ward – and Kossi immediately found his way into their hearts while his parents settled into life on the ward of the hospital ship.

When surgery day arrived, nerves assaulted Akoua. It is not common for a five-day-old baby to have surgery, especially on a ship! But she knew he had to do this to survive.

Maxillo-facial surgeon Dr. Leo Cheng performed the surgery with no complications. A few hours later, precious little Kossi snuggled with his mother in the ward. Blue stitches dotting his flat tongue were the only sign of his surgery.

Dr. Leo explained Kossi’s situation. “The threat of this lesion was very serious. Because his tongue was convex (and not concave like a normal tongue) he couldn’t breastfeed at all. That was the first problem. The second problem was that if the lesion grew larger, it could shut off his airway.”

The time came for Kossi and his parents to return to their home near Kpalime. Wee Kossi will not remember his time on the Mercy Ship, but his parents will never forget their live-saving visit to the big hospital ship.