Lincoln memorial Hospital Physical
Therapist Chrissy Willoughby returns from service oversees on Mercy
Ship
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[February 15, 2024]
For
nearly 30 years, Chrissy Willoughby searched for an organization
that would combine her physical therapy skills with mission work
before a television commercial about Mercy Ships caught her
attention in early 2022.
As a result of that commercial, and months of applications and
preparations, the Lincoln Memorial Hospital physical therapist
embarked upon a medical humanitarian trip to Sierra Leone, Africa,
to provide hope and healing to those dealing with injury or
afflictions.
Her nearly three months of service coincided with the plastic
surgeon rotation on her ship. Other rotations include dental work,
maxillofacial surgery, eye surgery, orthopedic surgery,
gynecological surgery and general surgery.
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Nearly 650 people served on the ship in medical,
technical and general roles. Her time there led to a greater
appreciation for the accessibility of quality healthcare in the
United States and especially in central Illinois.
One of her most memorable patients was a girl who suffered from a
mid-face tumor. As the tumor grew larger, and with no maxillofacial
surgeon available for removal, the 14-year-old girl was at risk for
complications like an impacted airway, limited ability to feed
herself or even swallow. The tumor also affected her eye socket and
vision.
Willoughby remembers the day the dressings came off the girl after
successful maxillofacial surgery on the ship. The patient’s mother
was jumping for joy and hugged Chrissy and others when her daughter
saw herself in the mirror for the first time.
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“She ran to me and grabbed me;
she was so excited!” Willoughby recalled. “This girl at 14 – her
mom knew what would happen to her daughter if nothing was done.
They just don’t have the social resources we have.”
Willoughby is back on the job as a per diem employee at Lincoln
Memorial Hospital caring for physical therapy patients. She was
able to take an unpaid leave of absence without worrying about
losing her job.
“Overall, it was a tremendous experience,” she said. “It took me
many years to get my life together to be able to do this. But it
is still important to do these types of service opportunities
here at home as well. It isn’t better or worse, just a different
setting.”
[Anne Davis]
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