"Life and Death..."

We see so many patients come and go through the ship.  Some of them I cannot remember...some of them I will never forget.  Yao was one of those patients for me.  I will never forget him.  In fact, when I went on vacation this summer, i would see license plates with "YAO" on them and immediately I would think of Yao and pray for him.  I know I posted the story of Yao right after I met him, but I felt I needed to share his story again.  We do serve a God of life and of miracles!

Nougloze, Yao, a 20-year-old builder from Lomé, Togo, held his fate in his own two hands. Just minutes before surgery onboard the Africa Mercy , he had a very difficult decision to make – life or death?

A little over a year ago, Nougloze, Yao was in Ghana training to become a builder. A small pimple on his face had grown larger and had become a painful growth inside his mouth.

When Nougloze returned home to Lomé, his mother was heartbroken by his condition. Nougloze's uncle told him that a Mercy Ship was docked in the port. So, the next day they went to the ship but were disappointed to discover that the patient screening was over.

But Nougloze's mother refused to give up. In her heart, she knew that Mercy Ships was her son's only chance. She came to the ship every day and watched patients with appointment cards being escorted onto the big white hospital ship. How could she get a card for her son?

One day, as she stood on the dock, a crewmember approached her and asked her why she looked so distressed. She quickly replied, “My son – he is in great pain.” The crewmember told her to bring her son to the ship, and she would see what they could do.

Elated, the mother rushed home to tell Nougloze the good news. Too excited to sleep, mother and son prayed throughout the night. The next morning, with a heart filled with hope, Nougloze, surrounded by a support system of seven family members, arrived on the dock of the Africa Mercy . Admittance nurses took Nougloze to see Dr. Gary Parker, who approved the young man for surgery!

A serious complication arose on the day of the surgery. Nougloze was given a form to sign, giving consent to a blood transfusion if medically necessary. He surprised everyone when he said that he was a Jehovah's Witness and declared, “It is against my religion to receive blood.”

Deb Jacobsen, Patient Life Coordinator, asked God to help her reach out to this patient and make him realize the magnitude of this decision. If Nougloze did not sign the paper, he would not receive surgery. Without surgery, it was almost certain that he would die within the next few months. He was literally choosing between his own life and his own death.

The pressure increased when Deb received a call from Dr. Giles saying he needed the signature in the next 15 minutes. Deb and Nougloze prayed together. His fists were clenched with fear and stress. He was sweating. He began to cry. Finally he pointed to the papers and tearfully agreed to sign them. He chose life!

And God smiled on Nougloze. The surgery went smoothly … and no transfusion was needed after all. Now Nougloze is living a tumor-free life with a perfect smile to prove it!
Story by Claire Bufe


Edited by Nancy Predain

Frontal view of Nougloze Yao's tumor.

Ayele beams that her son's face has returned to normal.