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Providing a new prosthetic leg for this sweet, shy schoolgirl was a blessing for Melitta Verrill and her husband By Melitta Verrill, Global Health Initiatives donor and trip participant  Last January I traveled to Rwanda to help the GHI team engage local school children with crafts and songs each afternoon after their school day ended.
Most of the school children came in their matching school uniforms and sat on benches under the pergola on the hospital grounds. They all seemed to know one another well. They were talking, laughing, and clearly eager to practice speaking English with me or one of the other “Mzungus” (a term used to refer to people of European descent). I soon noticed a little girl – Emelyne – with a very serious face who sat quietly off to one side. Her mother was nearby sharing the story through a translator of how her daughter had tragically suffered the loss of her lower leg in a traffic accident. The girl looked scared and forlorn as her pant leg was raised so pictures could be taken to show her need for a new prosthetic limb, which she had outgrown more than a year ago. My heart broke as I thought about the trauma she had experienced, not just because of the loss of her leg, but also because her undersized prosthesis was obviously limiting her ability to fully engage in the fun and play with the other children her age. At the time of our meeting, my husband – who was also on the trip with me – and I didn’t know Emelyne would become our sponsored child in Rwanda. We knew we wanted to help in some way and asked God to lead us and show us where there was a need. We feel blessed that we can help provide Emelyne with a properly fitted prosthesis now and in the future as she grows and requires refitting. We hope this gives her the confidence to engage in all the activities that girls and boys her age share. Our prayer for Emelyne is that her life will be full. We hope she will feel loved and cherished and come to know Jesus who loves her more than any of us knows! We pray her limb loss will teach her perseverance and give her confidence that she can overcome any difficulty that lies ahead. We wish her good health, success in school, and a healthy self-esteem. May she know she has a special place in our hearts and that our lives have been forever blessed for having met her.
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Supporters like you helped a Rwandan boy receive life-changing surgery...  To meet 9-year-old Jean de Amour is to experience gratitude through a child’s point of view.
His big, soul-searching eyes seem to peer straight into your heart. Though he’s shy and doesn’t know what to make of his American visitors, you can easily see the hope shining within him. He knows his entire life is about change. It’s a happy scene, but Jean’s story doesn’t begin here. Before he could even dream of walking normally, Jean needed a miracle. His Community Believed He Was Cursed Jean was born with two clubfeet in a village outside Kigali, Rwanda. His community saw the disability as a curse and shunned him. No one wanted to talk to the boy with the oddly shaped feet. Jean is completely dependent on his family – particularly his father – to care for him. “Jean would have no future if something happened to me,” Jean’s father, Eric, told us. Jean’s fate changed when a team from Global Health Initiatives met him. “He speaks very little and avoids eye contact,” said Greg Hodgson, Director of Global Health Initiatives. “He’s ashamed of his clubfeet and is uncomfortable with others staring at him.” Jean’s case is severe. He requires surgery on both feet and six months of rehabilitation at the hospital. He needed a sponsor to provide for the surgery, room and meals, and schooling. It was a tall order to be sure. But no challenge is too big for generous supporters like you. Soon after he met with the team from Global Health Initiatives he received the best news of his life – his surgery and recovery were fully funded. My Son Has a Future! Jean’s dad knew that his son was slowly isolating himself from his friends and family. It was heartbreaking to watch. “I want him to be the happy child he was before he realized his clubfoot made him different,” Eric said. In a few weeks, he will travel with Jean to the pediatric hospital for his son’s surgery. “Soon Jean can return to school and fulfill his dreams of becoming a doctor,” Eric said. “My son has a future!” You Reach the World Jean’s corrective surgery is a new beginning that you made possible. He’ll go back to his community freed from shame and isolation. He’ll know that donors like you made his future possible. By supporting GHI, you’re providing world-class medical treatment for children like Jean – children who would otherwise have no options. So, when Jean says “thank you,” we couldn’t agree more. |
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We share incredible stories of lives changed in our communities through YOUR support of our hospitals and programs. Archives
June 2020
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