As football fever takes over, six-year-old Abubakarr is finally able to play sports with his friends, after a free 90-minute operation on a Mercy Ship transformed his life.

A six-year-old boy from Sierra Leone can now play football alongside his friends after having a life-changing surgery to remove an extra toe on both his feet, by the Christian health charity, Mercy Ships.

Dr Tjeerd de Jong, a Mercy Ships volunteer plastic surgeon from the Netherlands, diagnosed Abubakarr with polydactyly – a congenital condition where a child is born with extra fingers or toes.

“If unattended, the toes would stay and he would walk with it, and he could get very old with it,” explains Dr Tjeerd de Jong. “But the problems that he already faced in society, they would also stay.” 

In countries with advanced healthcare systems, cases like Abubakarr’s are typically corrected in early childhood. But in Sierra Leone, there are just two reconstructive plastic surgeons serving a population of over 8 million people. The harsh reality is that for 9 out of 10 people, surgery is unaffordable. So despite all the care and support from his family, surgery for Abubakarr was simply not possible.

Abubakarr is from a northern town in Sierra Leone, where he lived with his parents until his mother fell ill and sadly passed away. He was just five years old when his grandmother Adama stepped in to raise him. 

“When he tries to run, his feet knock against each other and he falls,” Adama says, explaining the struggles Abubakarr faced with extra toes. “Even during school sports, he would be eager to join – but the moment he starts running, he trips and falls.” 

Abubakarr’s aunt, Muminatu, describes the moment they first heard about the possibility of a free operation on board a Mercy Ship.

“Someone called Abubakarr ‘fowl-foot’ and I got so angry, I confronted them,” Muminatu recalls. “That’s when Binta (a neighbour) approached me and said, ‘Mercy Ships is coming back – take Abubakarr there.'” 

Binta spoke from experience. Her 8-year-old daughter had received life-changing orthopaedic surgery on board the Global Mercy during the ship’s earlier visit to Sierra Leone. “I was happy to tell other people about Mercy Ships because of their good work for my child.”   

Binta instantly connected with Abubakarr’s story. “I was feeling sorry for him,” she said, “I had a child that was having a problem, so I know how people were laughing and provoking my child.” 

Encouraged by Binta’s testimony and determined to give Abubakarr a chance at a better future, Muminatu registered him for surgery. This decision sparked new hope for the little boy who just wanted to wear shoes, run and play football like the other kids. 

From operating theatre to theatre of dreams

Dr Tjeerd de Jong performed the 90-minute operation that would change the course of Abubakarr’s life on board the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Global Mercy.

At 174 metres long and weighing 37,000 GT, the ship features six operating rooms, a hospital deck with 200 beds, a laboratory, and various clinics, including general outpatient, eye, and dental clinics. The Global Mercy also has first-class training facilities for local medical professionals and is home to up to 600 volunteers who serve on board.

One of the volunteers is Louise Matthews, a physical therapist from South Africa. Following Abubakarr’s successful surgery, Louise managed Abubakarr’s two weeks of rehabilitation, focused on helping him regain strength, balance and mobility through targeted exercises and playful therapy sessions.

“Abubakarr did really well after surgery,” says Louise. “We got to watch him take his first steps in what we call ‘Darko shoes’—special boots we use for kids recovering from polydactyly surgeries. His recovery just kept getting better.”

On his discharge day, Abubakarr was given a brand-new pair of shoes. No longer would he be the only student in his class not wearing shoes.

“I received a new shoe today and I am happy. This is my first time wearing a shoe,” says Abubakarr proudly. “I can go to school now and nobody will laugh at me.”

One short 90-minute procedure changed this 6-year-old’s life forever. Today, Abubakarr can run without falling over. This World Cup, as football fever takes over, Abubakarr will live out a dream as he finally gets to step out from the sidelines and play alongside his friends.

Over the last three years, the Global Mercy has served more than 5,000 patients and completed over 5,400 surgeries in Sierra Leone. Behind these numbers stands an extraordinary community: more than 1,220 hospital volunteers from 60 nations, including 265 volunteers from the UK and supported by 340 Sierra Leonean Day Crew members.

To find out more about Mercy Ships, visit mercyships.org.uk