“She is jealous of her friends when they play football since she cannot play with them due to her leg,” Selina, Astridah’s mother, shared.
Selina was a proud mother after giving birth to a bouncing baby girl. Unfortunately, her joy was cut short when the doctors notified her that her daughter was born with a rare condition called Pseudarthrosis. This meant that Astridah’s bone quality was poor, and that caused a false joint (or a break that refuses to heal) in the middle of her shin bone just above her left foot. Astridah’s left leg did not grow straight and formed a right angle because of this false joint.
“We went to a local hospital, and they told us they could not help us. We went to another local hospital, and they said all they could offer was amputation without any hope of ever getting a prosthetic leg. That brought so much sadness,” Selina recalled. Having heard all those options, Selina feared for her young daughter and opted to take her home and keep her that way.
As Astridah grew older, using her left leg became more and more difficult. She relied on being carried or hopping around on her right leg, which was difficult. Due to her condition, Astridah has been forced to watch her friends play while she is relegated to the sidelines. Furthermore, she had to endure living in constant pain.
Thankfully, while Selina was unsure what to do, God used a Catholic priest to tell her about CURE Children’s Hospital of Zambia. This priest advised her to visit a mobile clinic that CURE Zambia holds in their area every month. The priest even offered to pay for Selina and Astridah’s bus ticket to the hospital when they were ready to go! When they were finally called and booked for a date, Astridah and Selina made their way to CURE Zambia without wasting time.
A Difficult Decision
Unfortunately, after examining her leg, the CURE Zambia medical team found that the only chance Astridah had at being able to stand and walk was indeed amputation. Still, unlike the other options Astridah and Selina had been given, CURE Zambia also informed them that they could make a custom prosthetic leg for Astridah as well!
“We are so happy to be here. Unlike the many hospitals we had been to, the doctors at CURE Zambia explained what would happen if she grew up like this. We have accepted that the only solution for my daughter’s condition is amputation and later get her fitted with an artificial limb,” said Selina, Astridah’s mother, after being consoled.
On the day of her surgery, Astridah woke up, bathed, and put on theatre clothes. “I didn’t know that one is not allowed to eat when going for surgery,” said Astridah as she patiently waited her turn to go in for her surgery.
Third on CURE Zambia Medical Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Moyo’s surgery list, Astridah was wheeled into the theatre, and instantly, it dawned on her that her left leg was about to be amputated. She quickly became afraid, sad, and nervous. Thankfully, the anesthesia team reassured her and put her to sleep.
“I don’t like to conduct such kind of surgeries because they get me emotional,” Dr. Moyo shared with the operating room staff as he was about to start Astriah’s surgery. After an hour, Dr. Moyo had successfully conducted the surgery, and Astridah was wheeled back to the ward to reunite with her mother.
The Aftermath
A day after her surgery, Astridah began recounting the difference between how her leg was before and after surgery. She began to cry and started to lament to her mother, saying she wanted her leg back. She had to go through a lot of prayers and spiritual and emotional counseling so that she could come to terms with the amputation.
“I remember receiving her in the physiotherapy department a few days after her amputation for a session to teach her how to walk with crutches. When she stood in the mirror and looked at herself for the first time after her amputation, she broke down and cried. It was heartbreaking,” said Mweembe, Lead Physiotherapist at CURE Zambia. Two weeks after surgery, Astridah and her mother were finally discharged to go and recover from home in the company of her close relatives. After six months, her surgical site finally healed, and Dr. Moyo sent her to the CURE Zambia Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) workshop. Here, she was measured for her soon-to-be custom-made artificial leg.
One week after her measurements, Astridah and her mother were called to come in for her first fitting for her prosthetic leg. “I am happy the hospital kept its promise and called us back for her artificial leg. My daughter has been looking forward to this day,” said Selina when she brought Astridah to the hospital for her fitting.
After some minor adjustments, Astridah was sent to the physiotherapy department to help her learn how to use her new leg. The experience was not only emotionally challenging but also physically challenging for this brave young woman, but she remained strong and persevered until it became easier for her. Five sessions into her physical therapy, she was finally ready to return home to the village with her new leg.
Walking into a Brighter Future
Six months later, a team from CURE Zambia traveled 490 kilometers to Astridah’s hometown in the eastern part of Zambia to visit her. Astridah’s mother, father, and sisters welcomed the team. Astridah was also happy to see them, and upon first sight, it was difficult to tell she even had her prosthetic leg! “Since we returned from the hospital, she rarely takes off her prosthetic leg. She has become so used to it that she plays, does household chores, and goes about her day with ease,” Selina shared, smiling.
Now that Astridah is fully independent, she has finally started attending school, and it is her parents’ wish that she completes her education so that she can choose a career path of her choice and become a successful woman in society. “To all the people who sponsored my daughter’s treatment, all I can say is thank you! You are doing such a huge and great job because you are helping children who come from poor families. Seeing my daughter suffer the way she did, I felt helpless as a parent. But God saw my pain and sent you to help us,” recounted Selina with emotion heavy on her voice.
Thanks to the generosity of CURE friends and partners, Astridah can now walk, run, and play freely, a dream that was once out of reach.
You can also help more children like Astridah receive the life-changing surgical care they need. Make a gift today and share the love of Christ. Your support can transform their lives and give them a brighter, healthier future.
About the Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Zambia
Established in 2006, CURE Zambia performs over 2,500 life-changing reconstructive, orthopedic, ENT, and audiological surgeries each year for children suffering from treatable disabilities. Strategically located in Lusaka, the teaching hospital comprises six buildings, 54 beds, and three operating theatres. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE Zambia ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their communities. The Beit Trust, a UK-based charity, provided the funding for this facility as a centennial gift to the people of Zambia. CURE Zambia is a strategic partner with the Ministry of Health.
