Finally Living the Dream: Emmanuel’s Inspirational Journey of Triumph 

“When they told us the only option was for his leg to be amputated, we refused to believe them,” shares Alick, Emmanuel’s father.

Emmanuel is a determined young man with a fighting spirit who was born with a bone condition where his right leg was shorter than his left leg and bent at the ankle. The condition took a huge toll on his life, and he struggled with mobility due to the pain from walking or standing.

In addition, he had to endure the pain of being left out when friends would play games. “When it came to sports, I was always the last person to get picked to be on a team. And I would face a lot of challenges because of my leg. I didn’t like how most people perceived me and made fun of me. It made me feel bad,” Emmanuel remembers.

 

 

Beginning when Emmanuel was born, his parents made countless hospital visits looking for help for his condition. Each time, they got referred to a bigger hospital. For a while, these hospitals were able to put a Band-Aid on the problem by having a special shoe with a thicker sole made for Emmanuel to even out the length of his two legs. As the length discrepancy between Emmanuel’s legs grew, so did the size of the sole. This continued until it was no longer safe to continue increasing the thickness. This is when various hospitals the family visited offered amputation and a prosthetic leg as the most viable option.

With Faith, Fear Can Be Overcome

“I refused to accept amputation as a solution. I was ready to live with my right leg as it was because cutting it off was not an option for me,” Emmanuel shares.

Thankfully, amid all the uncertainty, one doctor suggested that Emmanuel and his family visit Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Zambia (CURE Zambia) and gave them a flyer with some more details. A glimmer of hope was ignited in Emmanuel’s heart. And true to the meaning of his name, God was with him and his family! Alick was determined to exhaust every last possibility for his son and brought him to CURE Zambia.

“From the moment we met the security guards at the gate to the time we saw Dr. Lastroni, the love and care we were shown was so comforting. We immediately felt at home. The icing on the cake was CURE’s love for God. We knew God was truly with us and Emmanuel’s healing had begun,” Alick says.

After thoroughly examining Emmanuel’s legs, Dr. Giorgio Lastroni, CURE Zambia’s Orthopaedic Surgeon and Medical Director, prescribed a procedure called leg lengthening with an external fixator. It involved affixing an external fixator to Emmanuel’s leg during surgery, which would be adjusted every day, forcing his leg to grow.

Alick agreed to the proposed treatment to save Emmanuel’s leg, with the hope that it would allow him to live a normal life like his peers. A short time later, Emmanuel had his first surgery to help bring the discrepancy between his two legs within a normal range.

 

 

“My son has always been brave and passionate about God, and it is through his faith that we were able to come this far. The one thing that brought him comfort throughout his treatment was going to Boys’ Brigade to practise with his bandmates,” Alick says.

Boys’ Brigade (BB) is a training ministry for boys, where they are taught how to think and live like Christ. When Emmanuel first asked his parents if he could join BB, they were hesitant and worried but gave their blessing.

To their surprise, BB played a huge role in his healing; it was therapeutic for him. And all Emmanuel would dream of was the day he would be able to play the trumpet and march with his bandmates without any challenges.

Braving the Odds to Serve God

Showing resilience and courage, Emmanuel attended church and BB band ministry practice events with his crutches every chance he got. Though the four years of treatment were long and hard, he stayed strong and kept his faith.

During Emmanuel’s second year of treatment, his family noticed a significant change in his leg. “The leg is growing. I can see it. There is a difference!” Emmanuel happily shared during one of his follow-up appointments.

 

 

During the last two years of treatment, Dr. Lastroni continued to conduct a series of surgeries on Emmanuel’s leg, helping it grow and decreasing the discrepancy in length between both legs.

“He has gained more confidence! Every time I see my son walk, he brings me hope and joy. Beit CURE is a blessing to me and my family, and may God continue blessing the hospital,” Alick says.

Today, Emmanuel’s once-bent and shorter leg has caught up with its counterpart. Thanks to Emmanuel’s unshakable faith and the dedicated care he received at CURE Zambia, his dream of walking, playing, going to school, and marching without hindrance has become a reality.

When he is done with school, Emmanuel hopes to become a physical therapist so he can help people facing mobility challenges.

 

 

“If I had a chance to meet the people who sponsored my treatment, I would give them a big hug. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of CURE,” Emmanuel shares. “It has helped build my faith in God and touched my life in an unexplainable way.”

 

 

Emmanuel is not only living his dream but also making a difference among his peers with his small bracelet business. He makes customised bracelets (like the one on his wrist in the above picture) and sells them. None of this would be possible without the support of CURE’s generous friends, partners, and donors!

Would you join us in helping make transformations like this possible for other kids like Emmanuel who need surgical intervention? Make a gift that demonstrates the love of Christ to more children like Emmanuel by providing the surgical care they urgently need.