WATCH the incredible transformation of a teacher whose small spot ballooned into a melon-sized tumour that made it hard to eat, sleep and even speak.
Auguste, 64, developed the small mark on his jaw 13 years ago aged 51.
It grew so large that he was forced to quit teaching and became a recluse.
The grandfather left his beloved job as a headteacher in 2018 because it became difficult for him to talk, eat and even sleep.
Auguste, from Dakar, Senegal, tried to find a treatment for years but struggled – until he was advised to visit hospital ship Mercy Ships, which happened to be docked nearby.
He met with a volunteer surgeon on board and and was booked in for the life-changing surgery to fully remove the growth.
On March 13, 2023, he went under the knife and woke up to see his face tumour-free for the first time in over a decade.
He even returned to work – despite being of retirement age – because he sees teaching as his “calling”.
Auguste said: “I’m only here to help underprivileged and orphaned children – to teach them if I have the means.”
When the teacher first noticed the tumour on his jaw 13 years ago, he recalled thinking it was a “lymph node” because it was “so tiny”.
He eventually sought treatment for it after it continued to balloon in size and was told it was a cyst.
As his rapidly growing tumour began to distract students and made it hard for him to teach, Auguste was forced quit his career and found himself becoming a recluse.
He claims neighbours would even avoid him because they feared his condition was contagious.
He said at the time: “All of my activities have stopped. I don’t really do anything.”
Auguste searched unsuccessfully far and wide for years to receive surgical care – until the day he heard that Mercy Ships had come to the port of Dakar, only 10 miles from his home.
Mercy Ships deploys hospital ships to countries in need, delivering free healthcare.
Dr Josh Wiederman, a volunteer ear, nose, and throat surgeon, met and operated on Auguste during his first week with 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.
“Auguste would have developed it somewhere in the second or third decade of his life.
“It comes from the enamel of the tooth within the mandible, and it will slowly grow over time – you can think of it like blowing up a balloon.”
By the time he boarded the ship, Auguste struggled to eat textured foods and he could only speak out of the corner of his mouth.
The sheer mass of the tumour also made it difficult for him to rest his head comfortably, so he was sleep-deprived.
Dr Wiederman said the tumour would have only continued to grow and “consume more and more of the mandible bone” if not treated.
Auguste’s growth could have eventually caused “life-threatening” breathing difficulties, according to the surgeon.
READ more about incredible procedures and medical marvels:
When he finally went into the operating room for surgery, Auguste was giddy with excitement to get his life back.
He spent six weeks recovering on the ship before being discharged and went home to his wife, Claire, as well as their adult children and young grandchildren.
Auguste said: “I can’t explain their reactions when they saw me after the surgery.
“I was well welcomed – very well received.”
Auguste has since returned to the primary school he used to work at because he was so keen to continue teaching.
The school’s head teacher, Mamadou Bamba Ndiaye, said: “We’re very happy to have him back at school.”
Auguste is now is even dreaming of opening new schools when he’s fully healed.
