A HOSPITAL ship volunteer is seeing things through new eyes after spending three months at sea.

Bill Hunt, 65, was onboard the world’s largest hospital ship, MV Africa Mercy, which provides vital healthcare to underdeveloped countries and is run by the organisation Mercy Ships.

This time the ship visited Dakar in Senegal to help sick children and adults.

Although Bill was travelling as an electronic technician, he still helped in any way he could.

He said: “When I understood the pain of these people it just touched my heart and I wanted to go and help.

“The ship can’t help everyone, but they can help some people. I just felt that God was prompting me to go and serve with them.”

He learned about Mercy Ships at last year's annual Spring Harvest at his church, St John the Baptist at Whitbourne Avenue.

It staffs its ships with doctors, nurses and other volunteers to help address the health crisis.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 93 per cent of the population don’t have access to safe and affordable surgery.

After friends and family made donations to raise the £3,000 needed, he left his wife Deana, 56, back home in Walcot to give a helping hand on Africa Mercy.

Bill told the Adver: “They showed us photographs of some of the problems that they have to face, which is down to being impoverished and not having the same doctors or healthcare that we have.

“The first one showed a tumour growing in a girl’s mouth and this was down to her dental hygiene and an infection which they can’t do anything about and it just gets worse.

“The people going through this will eventually die, not because its cancerous but because they suffocate when the tumour grows so much and closes their airways.”

Bill donated some of his blood for the patients in need. It was used for an 11-year-old boy, who had surgery to remove a tumour.

Bill told the Adver: “I was able to meet Mouhammed. He had a facial tumour removed and one of his ribs was used to rebuild his jaw.

“He was drowsy from medication but through an interpreter I had a brief and emotional conversation with his dad. I think that has to be the most amazing thing I was able to do on board.”

An off-ship facility called the Hope Centre is a place for patients to live and be cared for before surgery and in between visits to the ship if they have to commute a far distance to get back home.

This is where Bill spent some of his time outside of work to meet visitors.

He said: “Almost all of them who came for treatment often they are malnourished from their conditions which stop them eating and drinking.

“There is a photograph of me holding a girl who couldn’t eat properly. She was the size of a six to nine-month-old baby. Knowing I’m helping children like her is just a privilege.

“It’s quite difficult to put into words without getting emotional. It made me feel like I was giving back to the world, it’s quite inspiring.”

After having such a life-changing experience Bill has already started saving up and plans to go back onto one of the organisations’ ships.

He told the Adver: “I made my application to go back and I’m hopeful that I will be approved again.”