Two siblings walked off the Africa Mercy on straight legs
Arla and Elidiot were both born with severely bowed legs in Madagascar. Their father asked for the before and after photographs so he could show people at home.
Severely bowed legs are correctable in childhood. Left untreated, they make walking painful and eventually damage the joints for life.
Two children, one condition
Arla and Elidiot are siblings from Madagascar, and both were born with legs that bowed severely outwards. Their parents had watched them struggle to keep up with other children and had no route to surgery.
Correction aboard the Africa Mercy
Paediatric orthopaedic surgery straightened the legs of both children during the same field service. Recovery involved casting and months of follow-up, which the ship's rehabilitation team provided.
What their father asked for
When the family was ready to go home, their father asked whether he could have the photographs taken before and after the surgery. He wanted to be able to show his neighbours what had happened to his children.