Mercy Ships Partners with Angel Studios for Exclusive Launch of Award-Winning Reality Series "THE MERCY SHIPS"

GARDEN VALLEY, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 23, 2025--

Mercy Ships, the global nonprofit organization delivering healthcare to low- and middle-income countries via hospital ships, announces that the award-winning reality series The Mercy Ships premiered on June 18, exclusively on Angel.com and the Angel apps. The series chronicles the mission of the world's largest civilian-run hospital ships as they deliver free surgeries and healthcare services to coastal African communities. The first three episodes will stream free of charge and feature volunteers from throughout the United States.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250623247191/en/

"We are thrilled to partner with Angel Studios to share the powerful stories of transformation happening aboard our hospital ships," said Caleb Read, VP of Advancement at Mercy Ships “Our mission is made possible through thousands of volunteers including medical professionals, bakers, mechanics, videographers and many others who give their time and talents. This series captures the heart of our volunteers—their passion, dedication, and the life-changing impact they make every day serving those who need it most.”

"In a world where 16.9 million lives are lost each year from lack of access to surgical care, Mercy Ships is a lifeline," said Jared Geesey, Chief Distribution Officer at Angel. "The stories of both the volunteers and the patients they serve resonated with the Angel Guild in a deep way."

View the trailerHERE

With the pilot episode winning the Silver Telly Award in the General Reality Category, The Mercy Ships takes viewers behind the scenes of the mission to provide life-changing surgeries and medical care where access to healthcare is often limited. Viewers globally will meet the international volunteer professionals aboard the Africa Mercy ® and Global Mercy ® —doctors, nurses, technicians, teachers, chefs, and everyday heroes—who dedicate their lives to bringing hope and healing where it's needed most.

This immersive series reveals what it's truly like to live and work aboard the state-of-the-art floating hospitals. Through tears, trials, setbacks, and triumphs, The Mercy Ships showcases the power of mercy in action—from critical surgeries to moments of quiet courage and unexpected joy.

With a volunteer crew spanning the globe, Mercy Ships is transforming lives—not just of patients, but of everyone on board. This series is a celebration of human resilience, love, and the belief that no one should suffer or die simply because of where they were born.

Volunteers from the United States who are featured in the series include:

Bambi Hawkins (Executive Assistant-Williamsport, PA)
Morgan Georgioff (Galley Staff Lead-Seaside, OR)
Joli Chou (Maxillofacial Surgeon- Philadelphia, PA)
George Beinetti (Carpenter- Syracuse, NY)
Abigail Beinetti (Videographer- Syracuse, NY)
Orianna Parunak (Physical therapist- Virginia Beach, VA)
Jenny Roland (OR Manager- Waynesville, NC)
John Roland (Hospital Photographer- Waynesville, NC)
Hannah Beckler (Media Liaison- Pasadena, CA)
Claire Burdick (Creative Coordinator- Costa Mesa, CA)
Connor Rogers (Carpenter- Corbett, OR)
LeAnne Ferrell (Transportation Manager- Dana Point, CA)
Ryan Moore (Chaplain- Clarkston, MI)
Kara Moore (Primary Caregiver- Clarkston, MI)
Mike Kirchner (Social Studies Teacher- Sugarland, TX)
Caroline Kirchner (Hospitality services- Sugarland, TX)

To learn more about the series, visithttps://www.angel.com/shows/mercy-ships

About Mercy Ships

Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with African nations for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.

Each year, more than 2,500 volunteers from over 60 countries serve on board the world's two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical and anesthetic care.

Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit mercyships.org and follow @MercyShips on social media.

About Angel

Angel is a values-based distribution company for stories that amplify light to mainstream audiences. Through the Angel Guild, over 1,200,000 paying members from more than 170 different countries help decide what film and television projects the studio will market and distribute, and support the filmmakers who create films and series that amplify light. Learn more at Angel.com

Mercy Ships launches Award-Winning Reality Series "THE MERCY SHIPS" in partnership with Angel Studios.

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)