The CURE Blog is currently on holiday hiatus this week, but we’ll back next week with more updates, info and inspiring patient stories.
I do want to post one update for your reading enjoyment. Here’s the latest blog entry from Jennifer Martin, CURE Kabul’s director of nursing. She does periodic blog posts for The Hartford Courant.
All of us here at CURE International would like to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year!
Orthopedics This Week has just published an article about our hospital in Kenya in regard to a generous donation from RTI Biologics . You can read it here.
The AIC-CURE Children’s Hospital of Kenya was CURE’s very first hospital. It treats and cures thousands of children every year from all over Kenya (and beyond) with orthopedic disabilities.
Here are a couple of these children.
Oscar
Sixteen-year-old Oscar suffered from a badly bent left leg. Not only was walking difficult, his schoolmates laughed at him.
His life changed after a CURE mobile clinic came to his hometown. He soon had surgery and is on his way to recovery.
Bakita and her mom at the CURE Kenya hospital
Bakita, a precious 4-year-old girl, had “knock knees.” Her mother brought her to the Kenya hospital in hopes of a cure…and she found one.
Children like these come to CURE Kenya every day. Their stories constantly remind us of why CURE exists: to transform lives through physical and spiritual healing.
CURE International is known for its excellent medical training programs, and nowhere was that more on display than at the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa’s (COSECSA) examinations in Rwanda a couple of weeks ago.
COSECSA is an independent body that fosters postgraduate education in surgery and provides standardized surgical training throughout the regions of East, Central and Southern Africa.
At this year’s COSECSA examinations, CURE International’s surgeons and residents made a strong showing:
Dr. Theuri
Dr. Theuri, the assistant medical director at CURE Kenya and former resident at the hospital, passed his fellowship exam and is now a COSECSA fellow. Dr. Theuri also was recognized with a regional gold medal as the outstanding fellow at the examinations. This is the third year a CURE doctor has won a gold medal!
Dr. Banza
The following CURE residents passed their membership exams: Dr. Banza, an orthopedic surgeon being trained at CURE Malawi, and Drs. Etsub and Tilahun, residents at CURE Kenya.
And last but not least…
Dr. Mbugua, now a 4th year CURE COSECSA resident at CURE Kenya, was awarded an outstanding student prize while Dr. Baraza, a COSECSA general surgery resident who participated in CURE Kenya’s training program, was given an outstanding member medal.
All in all, the CURE Kenya hospital took home the medals at both the member and fellowship levels as well as the course award.
We send our congratulations to all of these doctors. We are grateful for their dedication to CURE International and for the amazing work they are doing for children with physical disabilities all over East Africa.
Good Monday from Pennsylvania. We were hit with a major (for us) snowstorm over the weekend, so it looks like we will have a White Christmas this year!
We have some news from a much warmer location. Dr. Scott Nelson from our hospital in the Dominican Republic just updated his blog about his team’s most recent trip to Haiti.
You can read it here.
More news to follow this week.
Today, ten-year-old Alfred’s face radiates joy; a broad, bright smile lights up his face. And Alfred has good reason to smile: today, he can walk without pain.
Until this year, Alfred spent his entire life hobbling on feet painfully twisted by clubfoot. His parents could not find treatment for him so, for nine years they could only watch as his condition deteriorated.
Alfred probably would have spent the rest of his life this way if CURE had not visited his village and scheduled him for surgery at the hospital in Kenya. Instead, Alfred can go to school and wear normal shoes like his friends. He is a living, breathing, walking miracle!
NPR ran a story about CURE Honduras on its Morning Edition program. You can read/listen to it here.
Our hospital team in Honduras is doing an amazing job!
Here are a couple more places that help CURE heal kids…and make your living space even more beautiful!
Our friends at Avalisa generously donate proceeds from each sale to CURE. Go here to find some inspired creations to decorate your home or office. (I’m a big fan of the giraffe prints!)
Photographer Matt Wade at the Compassion Gallery has an online collection of some of his photos available for purchase. He donates a significant portion of every purchase to CURE International. Go here to see his site.
We are so grateful to Avalisa, Compassion Gallery and SIK (mentioned in a previous blog post) for their commitment to CURE. All of the products at these sites make great Christmas gifts!
Benjamin Bartlett wears one of the shirts available on his Web site.
Benjamin Bartlett knows what it’s like to grow up with a physical disability. He was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that limits the mobility of his hands.
Fortunately, he was sponsored by a Shriner and received care at no cost. Because of the generosity of the Shriners, his surgeries were paid in full.
Years later, Benjamin has found a way to help children who face the same physical challenges he endures.
He has started a t-shirt business called SIK (Shirts Influencing Kindness).
“I wanted to make an impact while offering cool shirts that people could be proud to wear,” he explained.
That’s only part of the story for SIK. Benjamin also wanted to use his business to give back to others less fortunate.
After doing some research, he came across CURE International’s Web site. He had found his cause.
“When I learned about CURE, I felt an instant connection,” he explained. “Because of the generosity of somebody else, I was able to have my surgeries. CURE does the same thing for thousands of kids with physical disabilities throughout the developing world.”
For every t-shirt SIK sells, a $2 donation is made to CURE International. All of the shirts are designed by Benjamin and made in the United States from organic materials.
CURE is excited to be partnering with Benjamin. To check out his selection of shirts, go here.
Nine-year-old Keneni had grown up with bilateral clubfoot.
Her clubfoot ruined her chances for a normal life. She couldn’t go to school like her brothers and sisters or even fetch water for her mother, Chaltu.
Life was hard for Chaltu, too. The family lived in a remote part of central Ethiopia that’s virtually inaccessible to vehicles. The remoteness of their location meant finding specialized local medical care was impossible; all that was available was traditional medicine.
When this failed to cure her daughter, Chaltu put her trust in God that some how, some way, he would help Keneni.
After years of waiting, Chaltu decided to put her faith into action. She took her daughter to the capital city of Addis Ababa to find medical treatment.
This was no easy task. The journey required a three-hour ride on horseback followed by a five-hour bus ride. Once in the city, they found the CURE Ethiopia hospital.
Keneni’s feet were diagnosed and a recommendation for surgery was made. Putting her trust in God and the hospital team, Chaltu decided to let the surgery proceed. This was followed by a second surgery a few months later.
Today, all you need to do is see their faces to know the outcome. Keneni is taking her first steps on her corrected feet.
Both mother and daughter have been changed by their experience at CURE Ethiopia.
By the way, all during December, you can help give children like Keneni a Gift of Healing. It’s really simple to do. Go here to give a child the most memorable, the most life-changing, the greatest Christmas gift they’ll ever get.
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