Oxford surgeon changes young Sierra Leonean girl's life

Fudia, from Sierra Leone, is now 14 centimetres taller after a consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals Trust performed a four-hour procedure to straighten her severely bowed legs.

Rachel Buckingham volunteered with international charity Mercy Ships, which provides free medical care on a floating hospital.

Consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, Rachel Buckingham (Image: Mercy Ships) She said: "I will never forget the first time I met Fudia. I could see she was struggling with the pain of her severely bowed legs.

"Every step was an agonising effort. Her legs were so severely twisted that walking was a daily battle."

Fudia was diagnosed with Blount's disease through Mercy Ships.

This condition causes severe leg deformities in children and adolescents, leading to Fudia's legs bowing and her feet turning inward at 90-degree angles.

Fudia before her surgery (Image: Mercy Ships) Ms Buckingham said: "As a volunteer children’s orthopaedic surgeon with Mercy Ships, I’ve met many children who need urgent surgery, but something about Fudia’s quiet courage struck me deeply.

"Despite the suffering she’s endured – losing her parents at a very young age, being turned away from hospitals that couldn’t help her – she held on to hope.

“Fudia’s condition was severe, but treatable. I’m so thankful we were able to provide the right surgery, and she can now walk, run and play happily."

After losing both of her parents by the age of seven, and facing rejection and bullying due to her condition, Fudia's life was made difficult by her condition.

Fudia learning to walk following her surgery (Image: Mercy Ships) Her uncle and guardian, Joseph, said: "We noticed it the very first day she was born; her legs were not normal.

"She got rejected in school by her friends and colleagues. Even after changing schools because of that, she was still suffering mockery from people."

He sought help at local hospitals in Sierra Leone's capital, but was advised to wait for the return of Mercy Ships.

In 2023, the Global Mercy docked in Freetown, six years after they began waiting.

Fudia became 14cm taller following her surgery (Image: Mercy Ships) Joseph said: "I was very happy when I heard the news. I want her to be okay. I want to see her standing straight on both legs."

He said he is "happy and overjoyed" following Fudia's successful surgery.

"When I heard that her surgery was successful, I was happy thinking about the way her legs were turned before and seeing them straight now," he added.

Now able to walk independently and with confidence, Fudia has returned to school with hopes for the future.

She said: "I want to be a doctor so that I can help other people."