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Join CUREkidsWe heard a story at chapel this morning at CURE from our spiritual director, Mesfin. He traveled last week to the village of Shone, 375 km south of Addis. He and other CURE staff were invited to the village to have a thanksgiving celebration for the healing of a girl in the village. Her name is Hanna. This is what Hanna’s father shared on a shaky, home-made video that Mesfin shot. Mesfin translated these words for us from the video: Read the rest of this entry »
The Banda family: Jonathan, David, and their proud father.
Brothers Jonathan and David sharing a laugh outside of Beit CURE Hospital in Zambia. The boys now have a new sense of joy and confidence after their surgery at CURE.
Blood runs deep. There is an unseen connection between brothers. Even though you may not have similar interests, you still have a strong bond. But what if you not only grew up with someone with that blood connection, but you also shared something no one else you know shared: the same disability. One that was obvious to anyone who saw you. One that made you want to stay in your house and not go out. One that your classmates made fun of you for. One that, in your father’s own words, made you “laughingstocks” of the entire town.
This was Jonathan and David’s daily life.
One of the great joys of my job is not just that I make a living telling stories (which by nature I’m hard-wired to do), but within those stories I get to see chapters that not everyone else does. Sometimes, those “bonus” chapters are so good I need to go back and rewrite the entire novel.
This is what I did with Jonathan and David.
I first became aware of these two boys when my media intern extraordinaire, Stiv Twigg, sent me some videotape of their story from his time in Zambia. I immediately set to work making a video about them; they had such joy and charisma, and the father seemed so thankful. Stiv shot some great footage of them in their home doing an interview and outside their home doing karate and other fun boy stuff. Read the rest of this entry »
His name was Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth’s name meant “shame destroyer.” He was dropped as an infant and had been paraplegic ever since. In the ancient world that meant a life of shame and isolation. He came from a family that had been in power, had done some evil things, and was overthrown and discredited.
But the new king was merciful and loving. He wanted to honor the last surviving member of that family and restore the land that would have been his. Even though he was disabled. Even though he had done nothing to deserve this complete restoration. Mephibosheth exclaimed, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:8) Read the rest of this entry »
Derrick is a young man from Cameroon. He is only 21 years old, but he has already experienced enough suffering and hardship to last a lifetime. A few years ago he developed a tumor on his leg. His parents took him to see various doctors who were not able to help him, and they began getting desperate. They heard about a preacher in Nigeria who was performing miraculous healings, so they saved up as much money as they could (not much), and sent Derrick to Nigeria to find him. Read the rest of this entry »
The normally serene courtyard bustles with activity…A bearded man pulls his camera out of his large equipment bag…Nearby a small group of people converses in what sounds like three different languages…Chickens scurry to stay out of the way…Less concerned is Rocky the dog, who loiters casually under a tree.
Germania after her surgery
The sight of 3-year-old Adam struggling to walk next to his mother was very familiar to those in their small Malawi village. Adam had bowed legs. Instead of being straight like normal, his legs each curved like a banana. Walking any distance caused great pain and fatigue for the little boy.
This greatly saddened his mother. Adam was her only child, and he meant the world to her. She realized what this disability probably meant to her son as he got older unless they could find specialized treatment. He could lose out on opportunities for an education and would endure the scorn of those around him.
Thankfully, the story does not end there.
After six miscarriages, Diljan was finally able to deliver a beautiful baby girl—thanks to expert care at CURE Kabul!
On a cold winter day, a 28-year-old pregnant woman named Diljan and her husband arrived at CURE International Hospital of Kabul in desperate need of medical care. She was suffering from shortness of breath and could barely move. The hospital staff quickly learned that this was not an unusual pregnancy for Diljan.
Habtam is a beautiful, young woman from Ethiopia. If you could meet Habtam today, you would be struck by her bright, engaging smile and consider her a happy person. But Habtam’s smile reflects more than just a sweet and joyful disposition. Her smile represents the physical and spiritual healing she found at CURE Ethiopia Children’s Hospital.
Soccer is 8-year-old Henry’s life. He is a huge fan of the Honduran national team and plays every chance he can get.
But just a short while ago, he had trouble even kicking a ball because of his severely bowed legs. Henry’s father recalled the struggles his son went through, “It was very complicated for him. I told him, ‘I don’t care how you look, honey, I love you.’ But I was hurting because I could see how the other children made fun of him.”
At CURE’s hospital in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Henry had surgery that gave him a second chance to have a normal childhood. Now this once shy boy can run, ride a bicycle and, of course, play soccer like a star. “My child now has a better future,” said Henry’s father. “I know that he is going to be okay.”
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