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Seven-year-old Hawa's benign tumor started growing about a year ago. Her family is from Sierra Leone. Her father Hassan looks for small diamonds, struggling to make a living. As he's spent more time lately protecting his sick child from those who taunt and would harm her, life has been increasingly difficult for the family. They sometimes go days without eating.

Hassan took his child to the hospital in Freetown, where doctors told him there was little hope. There was nothing they could do. She needed a surgeon. Even though it looked like his little girl would die, Hassan heard of the Mercy Ship's arrival in neighboring Liberia, and decided to make the difficult 2 day trip to visit the ship. It was his last hope for Hawa.