BY CURE EDITORIAL TEAM
All Photos © Chaanga
CATHERINE IS
“There are people who laugh at me. I do get upset because of that,” shares 13-year-old Catherine. There are more than 450,000 children in Zambia with treatable disabilities. And many of them, like Catherine, become targets for ridicule, shame, and rejection. Their lives are just as difficult socially and emotionally as they are physically. CURE Children’s Hospitals serve in hard places like this to bring physical and spiritual healing to vulnerable children like Catherine. Catherine had spent most of her life with severely bowed legs. She endured this condition for years, but sadly, there was no treatment available in her village. She was unable to walk long distances or perform most household chores. She was, however, able to attend school, but only because her family and friends carried her on their backs. One day, her sister Patricia learned about CURE Zambia. Just a few weeks later, Catherine was admitted to the hospital for treatment. The technical term for her surgery, performed by Dr. Lastroni, was a proximal tibia wedge osteotomy and fibula osteotomy—performed on both legs! A long cast was put on to hold the legs together with a 90-degree correction. This was a life-changing event for Catherine!
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Even though she had casts on both legs, she was so happy. Why? She had hope that one day she would be able to walk to school, play with her friends, and help with chores. During her time at the hospital, she had learned that she was loved by God and precious in His sight. When Catherine returned for a follow-up visit, she excitedly began physical therapy to learn how to walk with straight legs. She was on the road to a new life—and was much taller! Without people supporting the work of CURE, vulnerable children like Catherine, will often go their entire lives without treatment. They are rejected, laughed at, and often seen as cursed. We are thankful to God for people like you that show love to the poor, weak, and disabled. To help vulnerable children with treatable disabilities receive lifechanging surgeries and experience God’s love, go to cure.org/globalhero or call 616-512-3105.
