On International Day of Persons with Disabilities this year, CURE Kenya was privileged to host some very high profile individuals in the government and the health sector. Among these people were a few friends of CURE Kenya, such as Hon. David Ole Sankok, the national representative of People With Disability in parliament. Our guest of honor was The Deputy President of Kenya William Samoei Ruto, who is a long time friend of CURE Kenya. He also attended CURE Kenya’s 20-year celebrations and a dinner held in Nairobi in June 2018. On December 3rd, 2020, The Deputy President officially opened our new ward and ICU. During the event, he also met a long time CURE patient who is now healed.
The Deputy President had the opportunity to meet Lucy, a former CURE Kenya patient. When you think about Lucy and the journey she has been through, it is beautiful to see how her life has been transformed. Lucy came to CURE with neglected, severe clubfoot. Her feet were curved inwards, and it was hard for her to walk. Although I wasn’t at CURE when Lucy came almost 5 years ago, I was able to read her story and see her pictures here. I also interacted with her when she randomly attended mobile clinics for her check-ups. This year, I got the opportunity to visit Lucy at her home. First, we went to the home where she was born and raised, but when we got there, we were surprised to learn that Lucy no longer stays at home with her mom.
Lucy’s mom gave us a phone number to reach her. We thought that maybe this was her workplace and that the boss would pick up the phone. A gentleman picked up the phone, and when we introduced ourselves as people from CURE Kenya, he told us that he is Lucy’s husband and is very happy that we had reached out. Friends, guess what? Lucy now has a family of her own, blessed with one child, and expecting another one in a few months. This is such a huge blessing to witness, and we are grateful to God.
We were invited to Lucy’s home where we found her, her husband, and son. We had the opportunity to share Lucy’s journey with her husband. Lucy had told him about CURE and her experience at the hospital and at mobile clinics. She fought back tears of joy as she remembered all she had been through. What stood out the most for her was the love she experienced at CURE. It completely changed the way she looked at life. “Before I was treated, I was really shy and didn’t really want to interact with anyone. After I was healed, my confidence and self-esteem were really boosted!” Lucy told us. She found confidence since her transformation and realized that she was comfortable speaking to people and interacting with them now that their attention was no longer on her feet.
Lucy’s husband, John, is a barber by profession and is employed at one of the barbershops a few minutes from their home. Although COVID-19 had adverse effects on business, God has continued to provide John with work so he can continue providing for his young family. He told us that he loves his family and works hard to make sure they are comfortable. He said this about Lucy, “God is a miracle worker, and He blessed me with such a beautiful wife only God knows the reason why He brought us together.”
Currently, Lucy stays at home and takes care of her son. She has a small kitchen garden, which keeps her busy and provides her family with food. Lucy is also excited about receiving her second bundle of joy. We pray that God blesses her and sees her through her entire pregnancy term.
During our International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrations, we printed before and after pictures to show people the amazing work God is doing at CURE Kenya. Among these photos mounted on one of the walls in the new ward, we had photos of Lucy. We also invited Lucy to attend the event and had her stand by her pictures, so The Deputy President and everyone in attendance could see Lucy in person and thank God for her healing. The Deputy President was so amazed to see Lucy and kept asking if that was really her in the pictures.
Friends, isn’t it so beautiful to see the huge impact made in people’s lives? Through you and the gifts you share with CURE, we can see families growing, relationships being made, careers being developed, people receiving spiritual healing, and lives changing! Thank you so much for your kindness, and may God continue blessing you so that you may be a blessing to many more people.
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of pediatric surgical hospitals, which serve one of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations – children with disabilities. Patients at CURE hospitals suffer from orthopedic, neurosurgical, and maxillofacial conditions that limit their mobility/functionality and opportunities for education and employment. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE intentionally ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients in its care and invests in training programs that aim to equip the next generation of health workers and strengthen national health care systems. Since inception, CURE has conducted more than 5.3 million patient visits and 330,000 surgical procedures around the world. For more information, visit https://cure.org/.
