Religion

By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

Longview’s Malcolm Kelly, a second round draft pick for the Washington Redskins, visited Mercy Ships operations in Liberia, Africa last week. The standout Oklahoma Sooner wide receiver was received himself by the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf during his tour of Monrovia.

“It was a powerful 10 minutes,” Kelly said of his meeting with Africa’s first female head of state.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf commended Kelly on visiting her nation on behalf of the poor.

“Having a young African-American athlete who has achieved so much in life at such a young age, reach out to our young people in this way is priceless. We need more of that. Our young people need that kind of encouragement at this critical time in our nation’s history.”

On board the Africa Mercy, Kelly observed surgeries and visited baby Caleb Wilson, suffering from a bilateral inguinal hernia, and Prince Tamba who had been treated with skin grafts for severe burns, among others.

He spoke with Kossi Conteh, 10-years-old, who was born with a varus deformity, or bow legs, an inward angulation of the bone. Conteh was given an osteotomy, a surgery where the bones in the leg are cut to change the alignment of the bones.

Kelly showed Conteh a scar he had on his own leg from a surgery.

“Kossi realized having a scar wasn’t a bad thing after all,” said Orthopedic Nurse Ann McFarland. “When he first came to us, Kossi was so distant, but now his countenance has changed. He’s doing things he never imagined and started walking in three months, much sooner than we imagined.”

Kelly said, “For the Liberians, Mercy Ships crew members are a group of miracle workers. They are restoring sight to the blind. The surgeries they provide at no cost are changing lives. They’re ringing hope and healing to people with overwhelming needs. Everywhere we went, people ran up to me to shake my hand and hug me, saying ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ I was a hero to them, but not because I’m a football player. It was because I was wearing a Mercy Ships Crew shirt. I don’t think I’ve ever been more humbled and honored to be part of the Mercy Ships team.”

All medical assistance on the Africa Mercy, a $65 million state-of-the-art hospital ship, is free. Medical volunteers from around the world donate their services to the Mercy Ship’s mission, which is “to bring hope and healing to the world’s ‘forgotten poor.’” Kelly visited the Africa Mercy to help draw attention to the work of the global charity, headquarted in Garden Valley.

Visit the Web at www.mercyships.org for information.

VISITOR: Washington Redskins draft pick Malcolm Kelly, of Longview, visits children in a recovery room Wednesday on board the Africa Mercy, docked in Monrovia, Liberia. The international relief charity taps medical expertise all over the world to provide world-class free medical attention to the forgotten poor. Kelly spent five days in Liberia and met President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
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