A Keswick woman is embarking on an errand of mercy to help Middle Eastern refugees on a Greek island.

Mei Glennon, 39, a dental nurse, is giving up her holidays to join teams of medical experts flying into the islands of Samos and Lesvos to help stranded refugees who – among the many other problems they face in life – have dental problems, some very severe.

The mercy mission is being organised by the international dental charity Dentaid. Mei, who has worked as a dental nurse at the Fitz Park Dental Practice, Keswick, for five years, will be part of the team travelling to the island of Samos for a week beginning on April 2.

Other dentists and nurses from the UK are flying out on similar missions until May 21, providing a consistent, rolling programme of medical help for the refugees in their thousands who are living in camps.

Mei, of Latrigg Close, who has applied for other mercy missions to Greece or Morocco in 2018, is concerned at the plight of the refugees fleeing war-torn homelands and who have risked their lives to make perilous cross-sea journeys, often in the hands of opportunist people smugglers and on unsuitable vessels.

Many refugees have perished at sea and the scale of the human disaster has had an increasing impact on Mei and her view of the world.

“When I found out that I could do something through Dentaid I didn’t need to think twice,” Mei said.

“It is good to know that you can do something to help these people, people who are just like us in so many ways, with hopes and dreams, but who find themselves in a desperate situation through no fault of their own, forced to flee their homes.

“They need all the help they can get.”

Mei, who is grateful to employers Fitz Park Dental practice for their support, is familiar with making a new start in life as she left her home in China in 2004 for a new beginning in the UK.

She will fly out of London on April 2 to Athens and from there to the Greek island of Samos. Each team will comprise two dentists and two dental nurses.

Every dentist and dental nurse taking part in the mercy mission is being asked by Dentaid to fund raise £750 to cover the costs of flights, accommodation, transport and also to make a contribution for equipment and medicines.

If you would like to support Mei you can do so by going to: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/mei