Mercy Ships in Garden Valley, Texas, has announced a $50 million legacy gift from Harry and Linda Fath.

The gift will serve as a matching challenge grant for the organization’s future strategic investments. The couple previously gave $50 million after Harry Fath visited the current ship, the Africa Mercy, in Benin with his daughter, Heather, and Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo, to which the Faths gave $50 million in 2018. The original $50 million was designated to assist in the construction and delivery of the Global Mercy, currently being outfitted in Antwerp, Belgium, with six surgical operating rooms and a specialized training platform for African surgeons, obstetricians, dentists, and anesthesiologists, including a simulation laboratory for surgical and post-operative care. The Global Mercy will enable the organization to more than double the number of patients it serves.

“Not only did I witness the transformations occurring in patients’ lives after receiving medical care, but I was truly inspired and overwhelmed by the Mercy Ships volunteers,” Fath said of his visit to the ship in Africa. “When I thought of the personal sacrifices these volunteers make to help other people with debilitating medical issues — and yet they are the happiest, most compassionate individuals I have ever seen in my life — there’s a lesson there. Linda and I hope that our donation will inspire others.”

(Photo credit: Mercy Ships)