A young boy whose life was blighted by a snake bite is finally able to use his right arm following surgery and care from health charity Mercy Ships.
Yusif, from Sierra Leone, was just five years old when he was bitten by a snake while he was playing football with friends. He is now 11.
The bite left fang marks in his right hand and caused a stabbing pain that rose from the hand to the arm. In a matter of minutes, the young boy's arm was covered in bruises and blisters.
The only medical treatment on hand was a traditional healer who instructed Yusif to ingest some herbs, which proved ineffective.
Tertius Venter, a volunteer surgeon with Mercy Ships, explained the consequences of not getting immediate and effective medical treatment.
"[The snake venom] caused widespread tissue death and infection," he said.
"His body then shed the dead tissue and the healthy tissue from the sides grew together to close the wound. During that process, the joints were pulled in opposite directions causing a severely deformed limb."
Yusuf's mother, Mariama, hoped that doctors would be able to restore his arm, however after taking him to a hospital in Sierra Leone, she was told the only option was to amputate, something she refused to accept.
According to Mariama, "Yusif felt ashamed and became very shy ... He would hide his arm inside his shirt all the time, so it started to bend that way."
In 2023 a lifeline appeared in the form of Global Mercy, the largest charity hospital ship in the world.
After a three-hour surgery in October 2023, a follow up surgery a few weeks later, and three months of sometimes painful rehabilitation, Yusif's arm was restored to its proper function.
Yusif said of his experience, "I feel good now ... I was not able to do anything before with my hand, but now I can do everything. I can help my mum, I can play football, and go to school without feeling ashamed."
His mother thanked God and Mercy Ships for their intervention: "Mercy Ships has done a great job for our family ... God made it possible through them so we are grateful. When I saw Yusif's hand straight, I was so happy seeing my son. We both hugged ourselves with beautiful smiles. Then Yusif said, 'Mummy, see my hand'."
