Sambany A resident of Madagascar who lived for forty years with a tumor in his neck weighing more than 7 kg Country: Madagascar

Biography of Sambani
Sambani, a resident of Madagascar, lived for forty years with a giant tumor weighing over 7 kg on his neck. The growth was extremely unpleasant and was twice the size of his head. After walking for three days, Sambani reached a location where doctors from the charity organization "Mercy Ships" performed a unique 12-hour operation to remove the heavy burden. This life-changing procedure, which took twice as long as planned, was conducted by a team of doctors and nurses from the international charity organization. Over the organization's 30 years of operation, they had never seen a tumor like Sambani's. The tumor weighed 7.45 kg according to the post-operative weigh-in. Sambani, who is now around 60 years old (he does not know his exact date of birth), expressed his happiness after the life-saving procedure, stating, "My soul is very, very happy." He realized that without surgical intervention, he would have died. He knew there were risks during the operation, but he already felt dead inside because of what he was going through. He chose to have the surgery.

The Struggle with the Tumor
When Sambani, a resident of a rural area in Madagascar, crossed the 20-year mark in his life, he noticed a strange growth on his left cheek. The tumor gradually grew bigger and he had to exert physical effort just to carry the weight of the mass and prevent it from pulling him to the ground. The situation became threatening as the pressure on his body increased and his heart struggled to cope. When Sambani arrived at the eastern port of Toamasina, he firmly believed that he had only one chance for salvation. He found a hospital ship in the docks and sought help from the crew. The Mercy Ships organization faced several difficulties in preparing Sambani for the operation as they had never dealt with a tumor of such size. However, the expert team of volunteer medics, including British anesthetist Michael MacBrien, managed to overcome all obstacles and operate on this unique patient. Dr. MacBrien remarked, "Sambani is one of the patients I will never forget. Our team of surgeons and anesthetists achieved an incredible result considering the age of the patient and the size of the tumor. It is simply amazing to realize that all this became possible because the ship was in the port of Toamasina. Being part of Sambani's rescue was just wonderful." He also acknowledged that Sambani's recovery would take time and that hundreds of people, from the hospital staff and ship crew to the local day team of doctors, played a role in transforming his life.

The Joy of Recovery
When Sambani saw himself in the mirror for the first time after the operation, he was thrilled and exclaimed, "I like it. I am happy." Later that same day, he was able to sit in bed and play cards with his grandson. He will spend the next few months on the ship, receiving additional comprehensive medical assistance. Sambani first learned about hospital ships from a friend and immediately decided to reach the Africa Mercy ship, bringing his grandson along. They traveled for three long days to reach the checkpoint, then another four hours by car. Judy Polkinhorn, the CEO of Mercy Ships UK, said, "Thanks to the expertise of our amazing volunteers from Mercy Ships, incredible life-changing surgeries like this can happen. I was deeply moved hearing Sambani's story. He truly embodies the purpose of our organization."

About Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships oversees the operations of the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship that arrives in the poorest countries in the world to provide specialized medical assistance. Currently, the ship is docked off the coast of Madagascar, where many residents are in need of professional medical help. The largest hospital ship, built by the Chinese company Tianjin Xingang, is expected to be launched in July 2017.