If there’s one thing children worldwide have in common, its a love for playtime.  Six year old, Monica Kamana is no exception; she loves to play and embarks on new adventures daily. There is no shortage of friends to play with since she lives in a high density area, referred to as a “slum,” in Lusaka’s Kalingalinga compound.

Monica is usually left in the care of her grandmother who runs a grocery shop, as both her parents work full time to earn a living. Her mother, Harriet, is a marketer (which entails waking up at around 5 A.M to buy vegetables from the farmers), and her father works at the gas station.

While at her grandmother’s place, Monica was playing with her friend, who accidentally pushed her into the refrigerator;  Monica landed on its hot compressor and severely burned her right hand. She was rushed to a local clinic, where she was referred to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), the biggest hospital in Lusaka city.

She was at UTH for an entire month, without showing much improvement.  If anything,  her condition was worsening. She and her parents became increasingly afraid as they watched her open wound grow until it became so deep that her bone was visible. Before the accident, she had enrolled in first grade, but now she was unable to write with her hand. She was not only missing her friends in school, she was losing the freedom of being able to bath or dress herself.

Her story of disability morphed into a journey of healing one Sunday as their family was attending a church service. The church secretary gave an announcement about CURE Zambia, including where it is located and what kind of illnesses that they specialize in.

Monica was admitted at CURE Zambia Hospital on the 11th of May, had surgery to repair her wound and the skin surrounding it the following day, and was discharged on the 13th of May. Her surgery was successful, and she is recovering at home.  Now that her hand is healing, Monica has returned to her former care-free six-year-old self again! She will be able to perform necessary tasks such as bathing and dressing herself, she will go back to playing with the other children, and she will be able to go back to school.

Her story is best summarized in the words of Monica’s mother, Harriet. “Just as all hope was gone, God showed us CURE for Monica’s healing. We really thank God for what he has done in these children’s lives, because they have hope to get better or have a second chance.”