A mum-of-four had an orange-sized tumour removed from her jaw - after being spotted at the side of the road by surgeons passing through her village.

Marie Elisa, 45, had been living with the benign tumour for five years - despite it constantly growing - because she couldn't afford medical treatment.

The first signs of the tumour began in 2019, with a toothache which was treated with over-the-counter painkillers.

But it kept growing, until nearly the entire right side of her face was swollen - forcing her to stop farming, and leaving her family struggling financially.

Marie Elisa, from Berangotra, Madagascar, said: "The painkillers helped for a time. The swelling started, and it just kept getting bigger until it reached this point."

"I could no longer work in the fields or sell at the market."

"And my daughter had to stop school because I couldn't pay her fees." "

Feeling desperate, Marie Elisa turned to non-medical healers for help - but the tumour continued to grow.

She saw a doctor, who recommended surgery to remove the mass from her face.

But she was unable to afford the surgery - which could have set her back hundreds of pounds, according to Mercy Ships.

In January 2024, a patient selection team from international health charity Mercy Ships had to make an unplanned detour to Marie Elisa's village in Madagascar, due to a cyclone in the north of the country.

By chance, they spotted Marie Elisa while driving through the local market.

"We saw Marie Elisa walking through the market and three of us yelled, ‘Stop the bus!'" Maddy Hartung, an Australian volunteer nurse, said. "

"We explained that we'd seen someone we might be able to help."

"The whole village turned, pointing at Marie Elisa, rushing over to bring her to meet us."

The team set up a temporary clinic on the village chief's front porch to examine Marie Elisa, explaining the possibility of free surgery.

Though initially cautious, she took a leap of faith.

Marie Elisa said: "I was sick and willing to risk it – I had nothing to lose."

The mum travelled for three days to Toamasina to the ship.

Due to severe weight loss from the tumour, the doctors put her on a nutrition programme to regain strength for her surgery - and was cleared just weeks later.

She received care from volunteer crew onboard including UK and US maxillofacial, head and neck surgeons Leo Cheng and Dr Gary Parker.

"I thank god the tumour was removed and I'm healthy again. The surgery went well, and now I can eat normally without any issues," Marie Elisa added. "

"When I'm fully recovered and nothing bothers me, I can go back to my former job," she said."