“I thought it was a toothache”: this girl spent two years turning into a “monster” due to a rare disease (6 photos)

Doctors couldn't figure out what was happening to the girl for a long time, as a tumor "the size of an orange" had developed under her skin.







14-year-old Lucy began experiencing toothache at age 12, but over the years it became more and more severe. After the tooth fell out, the pain remained - then her cheek began to swell.

What did the girl look like when she was sick?

It turned out that the problem was not in the tooth. A rapidly growing tumor was found on Lucy's right cheek, likely caused by an infection. As the tumor continued to grow (it reached the size of an orange), the pain increased, and Lucy began to miss school.



When Lucy first started experiencing toothache, she had no idea why. The pain remained even after she had the tooth pulled. As the tumour grew, Lucy became quiet and withdrawn because of her appearance:

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“I felt bad when I had this thing on my face because I didn’t like the shape of my face. I was ashamed, none of my friends had this. I was the only one with a big tumour on my face.”

People often had to miss school because of the pain, and the condition worsened due to the lack of proper medical care. Lucy’s mother, Isatu, said:

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“It started swelling. I bought her local herbs, but it didn’t help. We never got to the hospital, we didn’t have the money to go. Lucy is brave, but when other children started laughing at her, she became very quiet.”

How did the girl get the surgery?



Lucy’s family in Port Loko, Sierra Leone, learned that the Global Mercy hospital ship had docked nearby in Freetown.

The ship, operated by the charity Mercy Ships, offered free surgeries. Lucy was told that a volunteer maxillofacial surgeon from Switzerland could operate on her.

“It was quite a large and destructive tumour, affecting bone and soft tissue,” the surgeon said. “It changed her appearance functionally and visually, affected her relationships with others, and affected her swallowing and speech. Her eye was also damaged by the tumour.”



The five-hour, extensive surgery was a success. Lucy remained on board the Global Mercy in one of the hospital rooms, recuperating as she recovered. Geri Harper, a volunteer pediatric nurse, said:

"She's the first person who ever made me dance at work because when she wanted you to do something, you did it. She's kind to other people. She became the center of everything that happened in that room."



How is she doing now?

After making a full recovery and being discharged from the hospital ship, Lucy was welcomed home by a cheering crowd. After the orange-sized tumor was removed, her uncle barely recognized her.

She is now back in school and dreams of becoming a doctor, inspired in part by the treatment she received on board the Global Mercy. Lucy said, “I missed school so much. My favorite subject in school was science. In the future, I want to be a doctor so I can help people when they are sick.”