Mum has orange-sized tumour removed from her face - after being found on roadside

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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.