Blossoming beyond Adversity with a Smile: Bridget’s Radiant Recovery

 

 

It’s heartbreaking how a single accident can change the course of one’s life in the blink of an eye.

This was true for Bridget, a fun-loving 4-year-old girl who injured herself while playing with her friends. The trauma of the injury made Bridget’s mouth swell and left her with a tumor in her throat and under her tongue, making it difficult for her to eat and talk. The tumor forced her tongue out of its usual position, causing Bridget to open her mouth most of the time.

Searching for Hope in a Storm

Because of the tumor, Bridget’s beautiful smile disappeared, which broke her mother’s heart. Elizabeth was in shock and denial and couldn’t believe her only girl among two boys might spend the rest of her life in pain. Because of her discomfort and inability to talk properly, Bridget was forced to quit school.

What made the situation worse was that for months, Elizabeth took her to various medical facilities searching for treatment, but to no avail. Bridget’s father had recently been laid off from his job, so without a stable income, Elizabeth and her husband could not afford the cost of surgery to help Bridget.

They were referred from one hospital to another. Just when Elizabeth thought there was no help for her little girl, a neighbor’s friend suggested the family visit Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Zambia (CURE Zambia).

Determined to Find Healing

Without hesitation—and filled with faith and hoping for a miracle—Elizabeth and Bridget made their way to CURE Zambia. “I want her to be happy and smile again, just like old times,” Elizabeth said when she first arrived.

Thankfully, one of CURE Zambia’s ENT specialists, Dr. Haben Birhane, examined her and offered surgical treatment to the family—all at no cost, thanks to the generous support of CURE’s donors. Once the family agreed to the treatment, Bridget was booked for surgery.

When Elizabeth first walked through CURE Zambia’s gates, she was without hope and spiritually and emotionally drained, but that quickly changed. “I was welcomed with so much joy by the members of the staff,” she recalled. “And when Pastor Lubasi from the spiritual team prayed with me and encouraged me, I gained strength to stay strong for my daughter.

 

 

Two days after Bridget was admitted, CURE Zambia’s ENT specialists, Dr. Haben and Dr. Rachel Hapunda, conducted a two-hour-long surgery, successfully dissecting and removing the tumor just below Bridget’s saliva glands. Post-surgery, Bridget was fed using a tube to give her tongue time to heal.

“I remember vividly before Bridget’s surgery Pastor Lubasi sharing the story of David and Goliath,” Elizabeth recalled. “He said, ‘You may feel like the pain your child is going through right now is the Goliath, but if you have faith as small as a mustard seed and believe, you will gather the strength of David to overcome doubt and believe your child will be well again.’”

A few days after surgery, the tube was removed and Bridget was discharged. Dr. Haben gave Elizabeth strict instructions to feed her only light foods as she healed.

A month and some weeks later, the duo came back for a follow-up and everyone was in awe of Bridget’s bright smile. Dr. Haben was thrilled with how quickly and smoothly Bridget had recovered.

A Path with Renewed Dreams

Today, months after receiving surgical care at CURE Zambia, Bridget can not only talk, eat, and smile—but also sing. “‘Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, I know! Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, I know! For the Bible tells me so,’” Bridget sang during a visit to her home by a team from the hospital.

Bridget, who was all smiles, was excited to return to school next year after a tough year of recovery. She dreams of becoming a nurse when she is done with school so she can help people heal just like CURE helps kids heal.

 

Elizabeth is grateful that, because of CURE Zambia, Bridget found physical and spiritual healing after going through so much psychological and emotional trauma.

“I honestIy do not know where to start. We came to the hospital, and we had a place to sleep, food to eat, and our daughter was treated for free,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you for showing us love and kindness. May God continue to add more years to all the sponsors of the surgeries so that CURE Zambia can continue to help more children just like my daughter, Bridget.”

 

 

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