Nine Hour Rescue Mission

A Young Boy is Saved from Life Threatening Infection

Kambal was just ten years old, but he was already doing his part to help with the family chores. He lives in the country with his four sisters and one brother. Like many others here, his family makes an agrarian living as farmers, growing food and raising livestock.

Kambal was outside tending to the young animals when he inadvertently stepped in a thorny patch. He felt a single thorn pierce the skin on his left leg. But he didn’t think much of it, and kept moving. After all, it was only one little thorn.

But some time later, the leg began to grow painful. At first he brushed it off. But the pain got worse. And before he knew it, he was sick with a fever.

Upon seeing his pain and fever develop, Kambal’s parents took him to the nearest health clinic in Jumezia. They arrived only to discover the clinic wasn’t open that day. So early the next morning they took Kambal farther away to the Ardi Cannan clinic. By now his leg had swollen to an alarming proportion. The clinicians drained some of the fluid, gave Kambal an injection, and kept him for monitoring, hoping this would clear up the infection and reduce his swelling.

Unfortunately, it didn’t. His pain only grew worse and the swelling continued to increase. The clinicians understood that infections can suddenly turn septic and become fatal if not treated in time. They advised Kambal’s parents to waste no time getting him to Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains, where they hoped he could find the help he needed.

Mother of Mercy is a missionary hospital founded by humanitarian Dr. Tom Catena, and a partner facility of Sudan Relief Fund. Our supporters help fund all the medicine used at this vital facility, as well as support equipment needs and expansion projects. There is no other hospital like it for hundreds of miles in the region, where patients can find treatment that’s not available to them anywhere else.

But Kambal’s worried parents had no way to transport him that far away. It was a nine hour drive by vehicle, which they didn’t have. With no other option, they hired a motorbike and rode the distance with their son on a three-wheeler across challenging roads to reach Gidel, a small community in the remote Nuba Mountains. Kambal’s condition was becoming life threatening, and this was their last hope.

The staff at Mother of Mercy wasted no time rushing the young boy into surgery, where they operated on his infected leg to save it. Kambal came through the lengthy operation and was put on an aggressive protocol of drugs. His condition was strictly monitored and managed over the next few critical days.

Soon he turned a corner and it became apparent that his leg was going to heal. He would not lose it or succumb to a deadly infection.

Kambal’s mother couldn’t put in words her relief from the stress and hopelessness she had felt when her son was so ill. She thanked the staff at Mother of Mercy profusely for all they had done to save her son’s life and preserve Kambal’s leg.

It was still a long road to recovery for Kambal. But after a month and a half at the hospital, he was able to stand and use his leg once again. When he was able to take a small walk around the room, the staff cheered, and ten year-old Kambal smiled.

These stories of lives saved are made possible by generous donors like you who support Sudan Relief Fund medical projects such as Mother of Mercy Hospital, and other lifesaving initiatives like food relief, clean water, care for orphans, and more. Thank you for saving lives like young Kambal’s and many others whose lives are transformed by the help and hope you provide.

Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

From Tragedy to Joy

Dr. Tom Rescues and Adopts Orphaned Little Girl

Four year-old Zaitun couldn’t move. She was so emaciated from malnourishment that her knees and hips were paralyzed. It was a frightening condition called contractures, a symptom of extreme malnutrition where joints lock up so tightly they can’t bend or straighten.

Her abdomen was distended and her body was covered in pressure sores. When she was rushed to Mother of Mercy Hospital by local community members with the help of an NGO, she arrived in tremendously fragile condition. But now she was in a place where she could receive the help she desperately needed.

Zaitun’s name means “Olive.” In its native Arabic, it carries a deeper symbolic meaning of peace, blessing, nourishment, healing, and resilience. An apt name for a little girl with the will to hold on through such tragedy and physical trauma.

Zaitun had lost her family in the Sudan war. She was left orphaned, alone, and neglected, in a harsh world where a four-year-old girl has no chance of surviving without help. 

The team at Mother of Mercy Hospital immediately rallied around the little girl and began intense treatment to save her life. The hospital’s nutrition staff worked around the clock to help Zaitun recover. Dr. Tom personally entrusted her care to a physiotherapist doctor who was visiting from India.

Three times a day Zaitun was given physiotherapy treatments that included gentle stretching, repositioning, and strengthening exercises, with the goal to restore movement to her hips and legs. Initially, the tiniest movement was painful. But slowly, Zaitun began to show signs of progress.

After two weeks of treatment, Zaitun was able to sit up on her own. By week three, she could stand up with support. She started taking tentative steps. With steady nutrition support, her strength began to return.

Soon she was making remarkable physical progress. But a nagging question remained. When Zaitun recovered, where would she go? She had no home or family to return to. What would become of this little girl?

That’s when Zaitun’s second miracle happened. Hospital Director Dr. Tom Catena, and his wife Nasima, who is an RN and the Head Nurse of the Male Ward, made the decision to bring Zaitun into their family. The resilient little girl who clung to life was not only growing healthy again – she wasn’t an orphan anymore.

Zaitun was welcomed into Dr. Tom and Nasima’s family, with her two adopted brothers, Francis Gene who is age 8, and Vincent who just turned 2. The founder of Mother of Mercy Hospital not only saved Zaitun’s life, but also gave her a family and a future filled with love and hope.

Today the girl whose name means “blessing” is thriving. The visiting physiotherapist from India came back to see Zaitun two months later. The little girl was no longer terrified of doctors or treatment, smiled warmly and said, “Thank you.”

These stories of Lives Saved are made possible because of people like you. Mother of Mercy Hospital is fully funded by charitable donations and compassionate donors who support healthcare programs for people who would be without it. Thank you for saving lives like young Zaitun’s, and helping so many others whose lives are transformed because of your support.

Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

Water That Saves Lives

The Miracle of Clean Water Wells

Lokiliri and her family were among the nearly 60 percent of South Sudan’s population who struggle to live with no clean water available to them.

Lokiliri would trek for six miles every day to reach a small, muddy watering hole—water shared by both people and animals. She gathered the dirty water in a heavy container for her family’s washing, cooking, and yes—drinking. Then she would haul it on the long trek back.

What’s more, Lokiliri faced danger every day that she made the perilous trip to the watering hole. Women traveling along the secluded route were sometimes assaulted. Can you imagine risking assault just looking for water?

Even after such a risk, the water she collected wasn’t safe to drink, teeming with bacteria that were dangerous to Lokiliri and her family. Over time, each of her three children was stricken with life threatening illnesses.

More Clean Water Than Ever Before

Last year with the partnership of our supporters, we were able to drill 50 clean water wells across Sudan and South Sudan – the highest number we’ve ever built in one year – and more are planned in 2026. The difference a well makes in a community is immense. Its impact is lifesaving and long lasting.

Here are some ways one well changes an entire community:

Clean water saves children.

One in every ten children in South Sudan dies before their fifth birthday. One of the main causes is consuming filthy water. Clean water saves children from these needless deaths.

Clean water protects women and girls.

Women and girls across South Sudan face perilous treks in search of water. Having a well in their community protects them from facing this risk every day.

Clean water helps children and girls go to school.

Children who aren’t sick from waterborne illnesses can go to school. Girls freed from hauling water for hours each day have time to go to school–greatly improving their opportunity to rise from poverty.

Clean water enables a sanitary and hygienic way of life.

Families with a community well can drink, bathe, cook, and wash dishes in safe water and avoid deadly contamination.

Wells safeguard families during dry season.

In the annual dry seasons, families face tremendous hardship finding water. A well protects the entire community and sustains families during dangerous droughts.

When clean water came to Lokiliri’s village, her oldest son, 16-year-old Oler, had been fighting near fatal dysentery. It left him on the verge of death for months.

He now stands strong and tall and no longer suffers from symptoms. Thanks to people like you, their family is now blessed with clean, pure drinking water.

There are thousands of stories like Lokiliri’s—families completely transformed by the gift of clean water. Communities sing, dance, and celebrate for joy when it comes into their lives. For these families, the day a clean water well is christened in their village is truly miraculous.

These stories of lives saved are made possible by people like you who support Sudan Relief Fund’s clean water initiatives and other transformative programs. Thank you for saving lives like Lokiliri’s family, and so many others.

Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.

Baby Girl Fights to Hang On: A Race Against Time

Her Mother Finds Help at Mother of Mercy

Little Mulsila’s first years of life were a fight from day one. Immediately after she was born, she was showing signs of sickness. She exhibited flu-like symptoms that were ongoing and seemed never ending. She had constant stomach problems and difficulty nursing. 

Mulsila was born into a family whose father is a soldier and whose mother helps farm the crops, since her father is often away. The family depends on farming for a living and for their daily sustenance.

Farming has been a challenge, to say the least, across much of South Sudan in recent years. Severe weather from floods to drought, and random conflicts destroy the land and interrupt planting, leading to food insecurity for many. A massive population of refugees coming into the country to escape war in Sudan put an additional burden on the strained food supply. This made daily life difficult for Mulsila’s family. 

When Mulsila’s health didn’t seem to improve, her mother took her to a local clinic in Katala where she was given medicine for the flu and a stomach ache. Unfortunately the medicine didn’t have the desired effect, and her baby’s symptoms did not go away.

Three months passed and Mulsila was brought in for a follow-up checkup and her condition had only worsened. Mulsila was diagnosed as severely malnourished. She was transferred to the Dalenj Hospital and because of the extent of her weakness, she was kept at the hospital for four months to receive ongoing nutrition support.

After four months, Mulsila was discharged and sent home, though her flu-like symptoms had not gone away. After being back home, she grew much sicker and started to have serious difficulty breathing. When her mother saw this, she took Mulsila to a different clinic in Timin. The doctor who examined the baby girl saw that her condition was critical. He advised Mulsila’s mother to take her to Mother of Mercy Hospital, where they might be able to save her.

Mother of Mercy Hospital was three days away by car, which was transportation Mulsila’s mother didn’t have. In a desperate search for help—and a miraculous answer—arrangements were worked out for little Mulsila to be transported by a Samaritan’s Purse convoy truck that was delivering humanitarian aid to the Nuba Mountains, which also happened to be where Mother of Mercy Hospital is located.

Mulsila’s mother held her baby girl tight in her arms as they traveled in the big cargo truck. Throughout the three day journey, she prayed that Mulsila would hang on. Mother of Mercy Hospital, a Sudan Relief Fund funded facility, is directed by missionary Dr. Tom Catena, a legendary figure in Nuba for bringing quality medical help that can’t be found anywhere else for hundreds of miles.

Prayers were answered and little Mulsila clung to life as they reached Mother of Mercy Hospital. She was admitted without delay and underwent tests to determine what was causing her health issues. Besides being chronically malnourished, Mulsila’s mother learned that her baby girl was suffering from tuberculosis (TB).

There is a dedicated tuberculosis ward at Mother of Mercy Hospital for children suffering with the disease. While TB can be deadly, there is a good rate of survival and recovery if proper treatment is received. However, Mulsila was under five years old—a higher risk factor—and no one knew exactly how long she’d been suffering from the illness, so it was difficult to determine the best treatment protocol.

Mulsila was given intensive nutrition treatment for malnourishment and put on a protocol of medicines to treat the tuberculosis. All the while, the baby girl held on. Then one day, she began to improve. Her symptoms gradually declined. An eventful four months after she was admitted to Mother of Mercy, Baby Mulsila was well and released to go home. 

Mulsila fully recuperated from all her symptoms. Now a toddler, she can walk and even run and play like a little girl her age should be able to—because of a committed mother, a fortuitous truck convoy, and because the medical help she needed was there for her in a remote referral hospital in the Nuba Mountains.

These stories of lives saved are possible because of people like you, who support Sudan Relief Fund’s medical mission facilities like Mother of Mercy Hospital that bring medical care to people and places without it. Thank you for saving children like Mulsila, and so many others who are blessed by these lifesaving programs. 

Would you like to pray for us?  Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Click here to find out more.