{"id":32129,"date":"2024-05-24T15:34:53","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T15:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/british-gp-sells-manchester-home-and-relocates-family-to-live-on-a-hospital-ship-in-sierra-leone"},"modified":"2024-05-24T17:25:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T17:25:00","slug":"british-gp-sells-manchester-home-and-relocates-family-to-live-on-a-hospital-ship-in-sierra-leone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/british-gp-sells-manchester-home-and-relocates-family-to-live-on-a-hospital-ship-in-sierra-leone","title":{"rendered":"British GP Sells Manchester Home and Relocates Family to Live on a Hospital Ship in Sierra Leone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. <\/strong><\/span>A British GP, Simon Latham, 39, and his family have relocated from Manchester to Sierra Leone, where they now live aboard a hospital ship providing essential medical care.<\/p>\n

Simon, along with his wife Ame\u0301lie, 43, and their daughters Zara, 14, He\u0301loi\u0308se, 12, and Sophie, 10, received an unexpected call in February 2023 that reignited their long-forgotten application to work on a hospital ship. This led them to leave their comfortable life in Sale, Greater Manchester, and move onto the Global Mercy, a charity hospital ship operated by Mercy Ships.<\/p>\n

The family sold their four-bedroom home, packed their belongings, and by June 2023, embarked on this life-changing journey. Now docked off the coast of Freetown, Sierra Leone, for nine months, they reflect on the profound impact of their new life. Simon works as a GP on the ship, while Ame\u0301lie serves as a PE teacher, and their daughters attend the on-board school.<\/p>\n

Simon describes the experience as transformational. \u201cI cannot see myself going back to the normal job,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is too much that needs to be done in this context to feel like I could go back.\u201d The ship provides life-changing surgeries and medical training in sub-Saharan Africa, where nine out of ten people lack access to safe and affordable surgical care.<\/p>\n

Simon\u2019s role now includes caring for the international crew and local patients needing critical surgeries. He recalls a particularly moving experience with a patient who had a disfiguring tumour removed: \u201cHer face lit up when she saw herself in the mirror post-surgery. It was absolutely wonderful to see what it meant to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ame\u0301lie also contributes significantly, working in the Low Care Unit (LCU) post-surgery. Their daughters, who attend the ship\u2019s fully accredited academy, have integrated into this new lifestyle, making international friends and even considering future careers in humanitarian work. \u201cAll three of the girls now want to do a job where they can help others and give something back,\u201d Ame\u0301lie said.<\/p>\n

The Latham family\u2019s decision has not only changed their lives but also instilled a deep sense of purpose and gratitude. \u201cLife will never be the same again for any of us\u2014and that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d Simon added, reflecting on their profound journey and the lasting impact of their work on the ship.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. A British GP, Simon Latham, 39, and his family have relocated from Manchester to Sierra Leone, where they now live aboard a hospital ship providing essential medical care. Simon, along with his wife Ame\u0301lie, 43, and their daughters Zara, 14, He\u0301loi\u0308se, 12, and Sophie, 10, received an unexpected call in February 2023 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":32127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[291,293,292],"class_list":["post-32129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-sierra-leone","tag-sierra-leone"],"yoast_head":"\nBritish GP Sells Manchester Home and Relocates Family to Live on a Hospital Ship in Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A British GP, Simon Latham, 39, and his family have relocated from Manchester to Sierra Leone, where they now live aboar ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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