Meet the Heroes of "The Mercy Ships:" An Interview on the Groundbreaking Reality Series

Angel, the film & TV platform curated by over one million members of the Angel Guild, announces the award-winning reality series The Mercy Ships, will premiere June 18, exclusively on the Angel apps and at Angel.com. Chronicling the mission of the world's two largest civilian-run hospital ships, the first three episodes of The Mercy Ships will be available to stream free of charge.

The Mercy Ships is an inspiring new reality television series that offers an unprecedented look into the extraordinary lives of volunteers serving aboard the world's largest civilian hospital ships. Set against the stunning and challenging backdrop of Madagascar and Sierra Leone, the series captures the heart and soul of a global community united by a shared mission: to bring hope, healing, and life-saving medical care to those in desperate need.

Unlike typical reality TV fare, The Mercy Ships shines a light on the compassionate and often unseen heroes-doctors, nurses, technicians, and a wide array of support staff-who keep these floating villages running. With stories of transformation, courage, and connection, the series invites viewers on a journey that is as moving as it is uplifting, revealing the power of kindness and human resilience across cultures and continents. Watch the trailer HERE.

We are honored to chat with Tracy Trost, the film's director, co-producer, and co-writer. 

Q: In your own words, tell us what "The Mercy Ships" is about?

The Mercy Ships is a reality tv series that follows the lives of some of the thousands of volunteers from over 60 countries that serve onboard the two largest civilian run hospital ships in the world.

You'll see how the volunteers donate their time to help bring hope and healing to those who would otherwise not have access to the life-saving care they provide. This includes medical professionals, but also all the other positions and skill sets that are needed to run these floating villages. During Season One the volunteers are stationed on the coasts of Madagascar and Sierra Leone in Africa.

You'll follow the volunteers through their daily lives and discover who they are, what they do, and why they are there, all in an entertaining reality show format that has audiences from 5 to 85 glued to their tv sets. Beyond the work they do on the ships, you'll also follow them in their personal lives as you see what it's like to live onboard a floating hospital ship with people from all over the world.

Q: What inspired you to co-write a film about hospital ships?

I've been working with Mercy Ships the past 10+ years, helping them with their fundraising commercials and public service announcements. But in 2019, I had the privilege to be aboard one of the ships and it changed my life. Meeting the people who volunteer to serve on board and hearing their stories is truly inspirational.

One day during that trip, another crew member and I started talking about how these stories are something more people need to hear and see.

Because in most cases, when you think of Mercy Ships, you think of doctors or nurses or surgeons. But the fact is, the ships are like floating villages. It takes the support of a wide variety of people to keep them going. This could include plumbers, electricians, human resources management, hospitality staff, and more. The ships really are like a small city. They create their own electricity, filter their own water, and manage all their intake and outtake of supplies. It's a huge endeavor and a huge responsibility for those who support the hospital, but without these people the surgeries would not be possible. So when I started meeting them and talking with them, I realized that there is an important story here and honestly, it would make a fantastic reality series.

In most cases when you think of a reality series, you think of the negative things in life. You think of people running around and being crazy, so I wanted to test the genre and push the boundaries to see if there was an audience that would appreciate stories told from the heart about good people doing good things in the world.

And the fact that Angel Studios along with their Guild got behind this project proves that there is an audience for this type of storytelling. Plus, the initial feedback is confirming it. People are saying they don't watch reality tv, but that this series is something they are excited to watch.

Q: Why are these hospital ships important?

The reason these two hospital ships are so important is because if they were not here doing these services, and providing this healthcare, most of these people would never receive any type of medical attention.

Plus, they don't just provide medical care, they also train the local medical communities in hopes that eventually these communities can provide care.
In some cultures, when you are a person born with a deformity or you have an experience that causes a deformity, you can become an outcast.

We see that in a story in season one with a woman named Vavitsara. She had developed a goiter on her neck and became an outcast in her village until she heard about Mercy Ships. She met with the screening team and was approved to come in and get surgery. Her goiter was removed, and she was able to go back to her village whole and healed. After going back, she met a man, and they got married. You'll see her wedding in the first season and it's very touching.

Without the medical care that Mercy Ships provides, she would've lived a much different life without the surgery. And this is true for thousands of patients that have been helped through the Mercy Ships organization. The tv series highlights some of these incredible stories and more importantly, the incredible people doing the work.

Q: What are some of the challenges people working on these ships face?

There are many challenges for the volunteers on Mercy Ships. You have people from all around the world coming together, living in community with a common goal. But imagine leaving your life, raising financial support, traveling halfway around the world to live on a ship with hundreds of people that you don't know. It can be challenging, and I believe a bit scary.

But from my experience, I've seen people who come here and develop a new family and new friendships that last a lifetime. Quite honestly, I think it's the challenges that bring growth in our lives and I would believe that most people who have been volunteers on the ship would say that it was one of the best periods of their life and would recommend it for everyone.

The TV show shares a lot of these challenges. From weekly drills, to overcoming cultural differences, finding love, and working with an ever changing collection of people from around the world, you'll get to experience it all and see their triumphs and lessons learned too. It's very inspirational.

Q: Do you have a favorite scene from the movie?

It's hard to nail down a favorite part of the series since we meet so many people and hear so many stories, but if I had to pick one, it would probably be the story about Dieke and Raximo. They are two people from very different countries coming together with one common purpose to serve on Mercy Ships, but beyond that, they share a deep love for music. In season one we meet them and get an understanding of who they are, where they came from, and we see that because of their love for music, they decide to write a song about the mission and values of Mercy Ships.

And through this story, you're introduced to a choir from a local blind school in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The choir of kids have incredible voices and are invited to sing on the song. You'll see the steps taken in that process and all that goes into creating the song, recording the song, and then at the end, the kids are invited to come to the ship to perform the song for the patients.
We created a music video as well, so you'll get to see and hear the song and see the kids from the blind school perform the song on the ship. It's a great experience and I believe it'll stick with me the rest of my life.

Q: Why should our readers watch "The Mercy Ships"?

There are so many reasons for people to watch the show. But I'd have to say that "inspiration" is the main one for me. At times, it can feel like nothing is going right in life and we only hear about the bad news. This show is the opposite of that. You'll be inspired to see the world in a different way and to possibly maybe even volunteer.

There are people of all different ages, ethnicities, and cultures that come together on the ship. There are people who have retired from their normal work and are spending their retirement years volunteering on the ship and young people who are just getting started. Their commitment can be as small as two weeks and up to many years. To see them all come together and put aside their differences for a common goal of serving others is incredibly moving. So, if you need a little inspiration in your life, that's a great reason to watch the show.

 

 

 

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