The Dress Ceremony


So the unit that I am working on (Ward A) is Women's Health. The majority of the surgeries provided to these women are OBF repairs, or obstetric fistula repairs. A fistula is an abnormal passage or hole, and in these cases, it usually forms between the vaginal canal and the bladder/ureters or the vaginal canal and the rectum. This means that the women are unable to control their bowel or bladder and continually leak feces or urine. The majority of the time it is caused by prolonged labor; in other words, the baby's head gets stuck in the birth canal and wears away at the mother's body causing the holes. And at least 85% of the time, the baby is stillborn, and sometimes the mother dies as well. While these injuries sometimes do occur in more developed nations, OBF is considered a disease of poverty and around 2 million women worldwide suffer from these fistulas (33,000 women in Cameroon). In addition to losing their children and their dignity, these women are then often ostracized by their communities and abandoned by their spouses. But they are so strong; many of them have lived with this condition for years, some enduring multiple attempts at repair, and still have never given up hope that someday they will be well again. 

The ladies from years prior

After the surgery and once the ladies have had their urinary catheters removed, a dress ceremony is held to celebrate their healing. Hand-made dresses and headdresses are made for each lady and they get all dolled up. We had the first ceremony this week and the room was so full, people were sitting in the hallways. The drums were playing and everyone was singing, and the ladies danced in to a standing ovation. My co-worker Elizabeth described it like a wedding, waiting for the bride to arrive, and that is the perfect description. 

The first five ladies (photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

Each lady then got a chance to share her story. One said that she had been to medical doctor after medical doctor, witch doctor after witch doctor, and no one could heal her. So she went to a priest, and he told her that she needed to stop going to these doctors, and that God would take care of her. Then she heard about Mercy Ships. Another shared that she had never encountered such love as what she had seen aboard the Africa Mercy. She said she was healed even before she had the surgery.

Clementine (Hospital Chaplain), Dr. Sunday (OBF Surgeon), and Dr. Miriam (Hospital Physician)
(photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

Koffi (Hospital Chaplain) (photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

Deb (Women's Health Team Leader) presented a gift to one of our ladies
(photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

It is so humbling and an honor to get to participate in these ladies' lives and stories. To learn from and be blessed by them. To be part of a team who are the the hands and feet of Jesus. 

(photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

(photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

(photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

(photo credit: Saul Loubassa Bighonda)

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