The Final Countdown

Well it is nearing that time when the Anastasis ceases to be a hospital ship. The Liberia field service is officially over for the beautiful vessel who has been sailing as a Mercy Ship since 1978. As you can imagine there have been lots of 'final' things. Final church services, final patients, final surgeries, final this and final that.

My favourite final thing was the final lifeboat race from one end of Monrovia harbour back to the ship (an annual occurence) - which of course my lifeboat won! Thats us out in front on the right!

A very sad day for all crew, especially our Chief Medical Officer Dr Gary Parker, was the final surgery on board.

Here are all the final operating room staff of the ship - just after finishing their last case ever, a cleft lip repair on 13 year old Sarah.

Not suprisingly the last surgery also means the last patients! We had four patients who left us on our last day of the Anastasis ward, 2 small children and 2 men. It was an emotional day for all of the ward nurses. I finished my time as a ward nurse on the ANA by doing the final night shift - hence I am not in this photo!

We comemorated the closing of the Anastasis ward by having a 'ward celebration'. we had a time of worship and praise, and testemonies from staff, crew and translators about old patients, miracles and sad times. It was a great way to end the era.

With the closing down of all the off ship activities, including the dental clinic, eye clinics, community health teaching, as well as non health related off ship projects to prepare for the arrival and change over to the new ship the Africa Mercy, the final health care department members posed for a photo. Dr Gary Parker is sitting in the front of me and to the left - a very bittersweet time for him as he and his family have lived on board this ship for 21 years!

We now await the arrival of the newest Mercy Ship - the Anastasis' replacement, The Africa Mercy. She is due to arrive Wednesday May 23rd. With twice the hospital capacity of the Anastasis, she is a great tool to continue bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor of West Africa.