When Armane was born, the traditional birth attendants helping his mother, Roseline, hesitated to hand him over. Instead, they tried to hide his face from her. Roseline was in a rice field, far from a hospital and the labor had been long, “I had complications during his birth – he almost didn’t make it,” she shared.

What the birth attendants were hiding was Armane’s cleft lip. When Roseline finally held Armane in her arms, she kissed him and began to cry. “I gave birth to many children but none of them were like him, so I was worried,” she said.

Born Different

Armane, the youngest of eight, was born with a condition that had never been seen or heard of in his village.

A cleft lip is a birth defect that develops while the baby is still in the womb.

Brittany Garrelts, American Ward Manager on the Africa Mercy®, explained, “As the lip is forming, the two sides do not fuse fully together. So, there’s a gap in the lip, sometimes going all the way up into the nose.”

Desperate for help, Roseline began speaking to local doctors and nurses about her son’s condition, but none could provide the surgery Armane needed.

“At home in the United States, when a child was born with a cleft lip, it’s going to be diagnosed either before they’re ever born or within 24 hours of life,” said Brittany. “And those children actually get surgery within three months… but here [Madagascar] we see children that are unable to have that surgery.”

In the months that followed Armane’s birth, Roseline struggled to navigate the challenges of nursing him – feeling alone and helpless.

“I had to lie down on one side when I needed to breastfeed him because if he could not suck on the cleft lip, he wouldn’t get any milk. I didn’t get enough sleep either when we used a feeding bottle,” she said. “He was very weak; we had to give him vitamins… and he struggled to speak, too.”

Besides living in constant worry, Roseline also faced judgement and isolation from her own family and community members. “They thought he was cursed; he was not like the other kids. They even said he was not human but an animal,” she recalled, tears filling her eyes.

However, amidst the scorn and hardship, Roseline and her husband never lost hope. “We prayed every day – day and night so that my son would get surgery,” she said.

When Roseline and her husband needed to work the rice fields, none of her family members who lived nearby agreed to babysit Armane, so she turned to her eldest daughter Lea. She’s a mother of two who lives in the district capital, about 60 kilometers away from the village. Though the journey on foot was long and grueling, Roseline decided to take the now 3-year-old Armane to stay with Lea.

“Lea naturally loves children; she knows how to take care of kids,” said Roseline.

It was during this time that Roseline met Mercy Ships volunteers. For the first time, she saw photographs of children with cleft lips who looked like Armane. Excited by the possibility of free surgery, Roseline shared the news with Lea. Determined to help, Lea embarked on a four-day journey with her little brother to the Africa Mercy, where Armane would finally receive cleft lip repair surgery that would transform his life.

A Family of Hope and Healing

The Mercy Ships Hospital Outpatient Extension (HOPE) Center is more than just a place to stay for patients – it’s a sanctuary of care and connection during their medical journey.

“Our whole team works around the clock to be with them,” said Denise Gorissen, HOPE Center Facilitator from the Netherlands. “We feed them and prepare the bed for them.”

When Lea and her brother arrived at the HOPE Center, they saw other children with cleft lips for the first time.

“To be welcomed as they are, nobody looking at their condition, but just receiving them in love – that makes our patients quickly feel at home,” Denise explained. “And also open up more easily towards each other.”

As friendships blossomed, Lea’s nurturing spirit shone. She was quick to lend a hand to mothers who were struggling. “It saddens me to see people struggling. So, when I see them struggling, I can’t help it,” she said.

One of those mothers was Felicia, who carried the grief of losing two children while seeking healing for her 3-year-old son, Colbert. At the HOPE Center, Felicia found more than medical care; she discovered a sense of family with Armane and Lea. Their shared journey to surgery brought their families together, creating a bond of support and healing.  

Love Assured and Hope Alive

As Armane recovered from surgery, American Ward Nurse, Mollie Felder, took care of him. “I hope that he grows up knowing love and that he is worthy as a human being,” she said.

Back in their village, Roseline couldn’t contain her joy at Armane’s transformation. “Now that he has had the surgery, I’m so happy – so happy!” Roseline exclaimed.

When Amane’s father first saw him, he held him in arms and kissed him. “My worry is gone from now on,” he said with relief.

Once plagued with fears that her child might never experience love or acceptance, Roseline now brims with hope. “His future will be better now. My son will no longer be mocked,” she said. “My son will always be loved.”

Armane’s surgery transformed his life, and it also brought hope to an entire village. “Most people thought that it [cleft lip] wouldn’t be fixable but when he arrived in the village, many people came to see him,” his mother shared. “They were very surprised.”

Ward Manager Brittany marveled at the ripple effect of one surgery “We can spread that joy – one patient’s surgery, but many people touched,” she said.

Help us continue transforming lives like Armane’s by visiting mercyships.org.