Back to school: Headteacher returns after melon-sized tumor that forced him to quit removed by surgical charity

A headteacher who had to quit his job after a melon-size tumor grew on his face was greeted with open arms as he returned to the classroom after receiving transformational surgery from charity Mercy Ships (www.MercyShips.org).

Grandfather Auguste, 64, spent six long years away from his school in Senegal after the tumor forced to him to leave as it expanded from a spot to the large growth over 13 years.

Auguste found the tumor distracted his students from lessons, but he became a recluse after quitting the job he loved so much. His neighbors treated him badly fearing his condition was contagious.

“All of my activities have stopped. I don’t really do anything,” said Auguste.

Past retirement age anyway, it was obvious to everyone who met him that Auguste was not teaching for the money. He had sought for decades to instill “the intellectual capacity to be able to rule the country” in his students, viewing each one as “a person who will be someone tomorrow.” 

Auguste searched unsuccessfully far and wide for years to receive surgical care – until the day he heard that international hospital ship charity Mercy Ships had come to the port of Dakar, only 10 miles from his home in 2023. 

American otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat) surgeon Dr. Josh Wiederman met and operated on Auguste during his first week volunteering for Mercy Ships.

He said: “This type of condition is seen in high-income countries like the United States but in very early stages. With routine dental examination X-rays, these types of lesions are picked up before they really can be seen from the outside.” 

Dr. Wiederman explained that although Auguste only noticed the tumor at age 51: “Auguste would have developed it somewhere in the second or third decade of his life, and it comes from the enamel of the tooth within the mandible, and it will slowly grow over time, but you can think of it like blowing up a balloon.”

He continued: “There’s a lot of resistance early on, and then at a certain point, that resistance is overcome, and it starts to expand quickly with little force.” 

By the time he boarded the ship, Auguste was experiencing many physical repercussions from his tumor. Eating textured foods had become difficult, and he could only speak out of the corner of his mouth.

The sheer mass of the tumor also made it difficult for him to rest his head comfortably, so he was sleep-deprived. Although the condition seemed to have plateaued, Dr. Wiederman did not take this stability for granted. 

Dr. Wiederman said: “This is a really unfortunate tumor that really must be treated. It will always grow. It really doesn’t burn out, so it will continue to consume more and more of the mandible bone,” he said. “Eventually, that can cause difficulty eating or breathing and become a life-threatening issue.” 

Although the international volunteer nurses on board the world largest civilian hospital ship the Global Mercy™ noted how agreeable Auguste was, he admitted afterward that it was not easy: “You have to open up yourself, then someone can help you—and you have helped me.” 

When he finally went into the operating room for surgery, Auguste was giddy with excitement to get his life back. 

Return to His Calling 

It was on the Global Mercy that Auguste saw his face in the mirror tumor-free for the first time in 13 years. 

Six weeks later, Auguste was discharged from the floating hospital, and he went home to his wife Claire, as well as their adult children and young grandchildren.

Walking freely around the neighborhood, he was greeted with happiness and disbelief. “I can’t explain their reactions when they saw me after the surgery,” he said. “I was well welcomed—very well received.” 

Starting his next chapter, Auguste saw a world of possibilities. He was now dreaming of opening new schools “in order to reduce unemployment” where needed across Senegal. “As soon as I am healed,” he said. 

But when Auguste returned to his elementary school for the first time in six years, he found that he was exactly where he needed to be. 

Mamadou Bamba Ndiaye, who had succeeded Auguste as headmaster, said: “We’re very happy to have him back at school because we didn’t know what to do; we’ve waited for so long.

”The most vulnerable kids—he used to go to their homes to help them. He was giving home classes for free.” 

Auguste found that nobody had taken up his mantle of going above and beyond to be “in constant contact with the parents,” so the kids who needed more motivation were dropping out of school.

“When I went back, I noticed that the school was very quiet,” Auguste said. “The number of students has decreased. There’s no longer any atmosphere.” 

Auguste still has his sights set on opening other schools in the future, starting with one in Senegal’s second-biggest city of Touba.

For Auguste, his calling is clear: “I’m only here to help underprivileged and orphaned children—to teach them if I have the means.” 

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