A Life-Altering Health Crisis Sparks a Journey of Service and Love
(Photo: Mercy Ships)
For Emma Janavicius, a 28-year-old pediatric nurse, a sudden medical emergency became the unexpected turning point that led her towards a path she had long contemplated but never pursued. Her story is one of resilience, faith, and ultimately, a newfound purpose in volunteering.
Emma’s connection with Mercy Ships, an international Christian charity known for providing free surgeries in sub-Saharan Africa, was seeded years ago. Despite feeling a strong pull towards volunteering, life events and personal loss had kept her tethered to home.
Her world shifted dramatically when she was struck by severe abdominal pain, leading to a diagnosis of a ruptured ovarian cyst. Emergency surgery saved her life, a moment Emma describes as a divine intervention. “Throughout it all, I felt like the Lord was protecting me,” she reflected. “He took what the enemy meant for evil and turned it for good.”
Emma’s brush with mortality was a wake-up call. “That experience of being so close to losing my own life made me realise that I needed to stop putting off all the things I wanted to do and instead take some time off and volunteer,” she said.
Her decision to join Mercy Ships was influenced by a longtime volunteer and surgeon colleague, Leo Cheng. By January, Emma was aboard the Global Mercy in Sierra Leone, helping children receive life-changing surgeries.
Emma recounted her motivation, stating, “I received safe surgery when I desperately needed it and it saved my life. I decided it was my turn to volunteer and make this possible for other people.” Her personal experiences of loss have fueled her dedication to her medical practice.
Emma emphasized the impact of her work: “It was a blessing to use my skills to bring hope and healing to those who are so often ostracised. Seeing their reactions after surgery and the instant sense of, ‘Wow’, was a massive privilege and amazing to be part of.”
As her service in Sierra Leone concluded, life had another surprise for Emma. Her boyfriend, David, orchestrated a surprise proposal at Bureh Beach with the help of her crewmates. Emma recalled the moment vividly: “I couldn’t believe it when he got down on one knee, dug the ring box out of the sand in front of me and asked me to marry him.”
Back in the UK, Emma and David are planning their wedding and look forward to returning to Mercy Ships as a couple, ready to continue their journey of service and compassion.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
