Finding Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love at CURE Kenya

Four words hold great significance for Christians during the Advent season and are celebrated by lighting a candle the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. 

Hope

Peace

Joy

Love

These four words are powerful. They are words to be pondered. They are words that encompass aspects of healing that we strive to give our patients at CURE hospitals every day.

At CURE hospitals, we see children that have coped with life-altering disabilities for years. Oftentimes, they have lost hope for healing, have been robbed of peace due to bullying, have struggled to find joy amid pain, and have been looking for love that has felt lost due to isolation and sometimes abandonment. It breaks our hearts to see these children in a state of depression and despair, and it is our delight to bring hope, peace, joy, and love back into their lives. This happens when we address not only their physical ailments but also their emotional and spiritual needs as well.

One child story that comes to mind when thinking about hope, peace, joy, and love is Slinthe. He is a young boy that was brought to CURE Kenya for treatment of neglected, bilateral clubfoot. What makes his story particularly unique is that he was picked up off the streets begging for money, did not speak a local language, and did not have any relatives or adults he was living with. His background was a mystery, and he was in desperate need of care.

Slinthe before surgery

Slinthe was just 6 years old when he was found. He was not only forced to beg on the streets, but he was also suffering from neglected, bilateral clubfoot. This condition happens when the foot turns inward and the patient begins to walk on their ankle. It causes pain when walking and even standing. Thankfully, Slinthe was taken to an orphanage, cleaned up, and referred to CURE Kenya for treatment.

Dr. Philemon Ogeto Nyambati, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, treated Slinthe at CURE Kenya. He was given a posterior medial release, where tendons in the foot are released that make the foot turn inward. The foot is then put into a cast and then into an ankle-foot orthosis that will stay in his shoe after the cast is off for about a year and a half. The surgery and healing process has been successful for Slinthe – and that success was more than just physical.

There’s just something about a child that you really can’t replace. It’s not about the money that you have, but it’s that smile that you actually see of a child who you have seen through a journey. And so being in CURE, it has been a journey of daily learning that there’s still more to be done, but with that little, if I can just reach to that one child and bring a smile to their face and just at least help a parent know that there’s still hope, that has been the greatest motivation for me. – Dr. Nyambati

Slinthe after treatment

Slinthe found a community of people that unconditionally cared for him. The orphanage supplied him with a guardian that lovingly attended all his hospital appointments and the staff at CURE Kenya came around him to offer hope for the futurepeace in the waitingjoy in relationships, and love by sharing the love of Jesus.

“So it makes one feel like Slinthe, I belong. I belong. Though he cannot express himself much to us, at least the non-verbals speak a lot and that prompts him to know, “Here is a place that I belong.” And he really encountered love.”  – Pastor Phoebe Batha at CURE Kenya

What Slinthe loved most about his stay at CURE Kenya was the disability-friendly kid cars in the playroom. He longed to ride a bicycle and this was his goal after he completed treatment. Well, I am happy to say that Slinthe did meet his goal and rode a bicycle!

According to Dr. Nyambati, there are about 180 children still waiting for treatment at CURE Kenya right now. As we are gearing up for the new year, please prayerfully consider a gift that will provide the resources to get a child off the waiting list and into life-transforming treatment for their disability. Let’s shorten the wait for these children and provide them with hope, peace, joy, and love. Click here to learn more about how you can help.

“And so at CURE, the greatest aspect that I’ve actually found, it’s been, first, growing in Christ. And with that, spreading the message of love through service or surgery, through interaction with parent and child, because it’s the greatest thing I’d love to see.” – Dr. Nyambati 

Slinthe (on right, after treatment) playing ball with a friend.

Original Story by Stacey Korecki at CURE.org

Photo of the Heidi Isaac

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