CURE’s hospital in Mbale, Uganda, opened in 2000.  Overall, it has performed more than 7,000 surgeries on children suffering from hydrocephalus and other neurosurgical conditions.

Over the years, the staff at the hospital has been blessed to watch these children grow up as they returned for follow-up appointments.

Recently, we had the privilege of receiving the stories of two of these children from Miriam Ongom, the spiritual director at the hospital.

Patience and Angela are both beautiful 9-year-old girls.  They are excellent students.  Angela wants to be a doctor and Patience a teacher (although her brother thinks she should become a doctor).

Patience

It is hard to imagine that these smiling girls were once on a path to a lifetime of suffering and possibly death.  If not for the Uganda hospital, this is most certainly the fate that awaited them.

These girls had both developed hydrocephalus just months after they were born.  The signs of the condition soon began to appear:  a growing head, weakness in the neck and, in Angela’s case, sun-setting eyes.

Angela

The hydrocephalus caused confusion, frustration and turmoil in both of the girls’ families.

The story would have ended sadly for both families.  It didn’t, however.  CURE International had just opened its hospital in Mbale. Both children were able to come there for surgical treatment for their hydrocephalus.  The successful outcome is evident by their smiles today.

The beautiful thing about their stories is not just the physical healing Patience and Angela received, but the spiritual care the loving staff at the hospital gave to their parents.

Now, the girls have healed bodies and restored families. Who knows what life would be like for them if CURE hadn’t come to Uganda.

Patience and Angela are living reminders that CURE is truly changing lives.

You can help the CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda reach even more children like Patience and Angela.  Go here to give a donation today.