SUCCESS resident and Fiona Stanley Hospital nurse Aida Oakdon faced her fears to serve aboard Mercy Ships in West Africa earlier this year.
Docked off the coast, the ship is the world’s largest charity hospital, providing free health care to poor and underprivileged communities.
Ms Oakdon had previously volunteered in the Philippines, teaching basic hygiene to children and caring for the elderly during post-typhoon relief efforts.
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READ NOW“I heard about Mercy Ships 10 years ago when I was a student nurse. Since then, it has always been my goal to save enough money to volunteer,” she said.
But the registered nurse, who works in the post-anaesthesia care unit at FSH, said she was initially apprehensive about going to West Africa in April.
But she discovered the experience outweighed concerns for her safety.
“The patients were polite, brave, humble and always smiling,” she said.
“Many of the patients I saw had been without care for a long time due to a lack of adequate and affordable medical care.
“It was a life-changing experience.
“My future lies in volunteering in any capacity I can, whether it is local or abroad.”
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