“When my daughter Loveness was born, the medical team at the local health centre hid her from me. It was the first time a child was born like this in our community,” Loveness’ mother, Gloria, remembers.
Loveness’s physical state was shocking to both the staff at the health centre and the people in her community. It was an emotional moment, and they were unsure how Gloria would react to seeing Loveness, so they opted to hide her. However, Gloria insisted on seeing her child. “I got curious. I thought maybe the baby had been born dead, but I insisted on seeing my child. They showed Loveness to me, and when I looked at her, I thought she had a wound on the right leg—that she got injured while I was giving birth. I looked closely and realized Loveness’s right leg was short, and her left foot was bent,” Gloria recalled.
Loveness was born with clubfoot, a condition where her left foot curved inward—affecting the bones, muscles, tendons, and blood vessels. And Loveness’s right leg didn’t fully develop, as it ended above the knee. The family was advised to take Loveness to a bigger hospital, where she began receiving a casting treatment for her clubfoot. She went through 13 cast changes over a period of time. The treatment helped slightly improve the orientation of her foot but failed to fully correct her clubfoot.
A Mother’s Unfailing Love
Gloria didn’t have it easy raising Loveness. It was the first time such a condition had occurred in their community, so the whole family was mocked and laughed at. This took a toll on both Gloria’s mental and physical health. “People laughed and mocked me because of Loveness’s legs. It affected me to the extent that I developed high blood pressure because of thinking and stressing about it. Sometimes, when I was carrying her on my back, people would say, ‘You are carrying her improperly’ because they thought I was squeezing her right leg. And when I unwrapped her, and they saw she didn’t have a right leg, they felt pity,’’ Gloria said.
Thankfully, Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Zambia (CURE Zambia) met Loveness at one of our mobile clinics in her hometown. Gloria got word of the clinic through a local branch of World Vision, and after being seen by the CURE Zambia doctors, Loveness was booked for surgery at CURE Zambia in Lusaka.
When Loveness and Gloria made it to the hospital, a surgical treatment plan was devised to correct Loveness’s clubfoot first. Former CURE Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Svenyika Muntanga performed a series of surgeries to correct her clubfoot.
After undergoing a series of surgical procedures, Loveness responded positively to the treatment and her foot was finally straightened! “I couldn’t hold my joy when my daughter’s foot was finally straightened. It was as if God finally remembered me. I was filled with happiness. I didn’t think such a transformation was possible, but God saw it fit that my daughter gets her healing through CURE Zambia,” Gloria shared.
But the joy of finally having a straight foot was lessened as the now six-year-old Loveness still lacked independence and mobility due to missing the lower part of her right leg. For this, Loveness would require a prosthetic leg. At that time, CURE Zambia was not equipped to provide prosthetics, so Loveness was referred to a partner hospital that could fit her with a prosthetic leg.
The problem is that growing children like Loveness need to have their prosthetics replaced every few years to keep up with their growing legs. This can be an expensive and draining process due to long waiting lists and varying quality of prosthetics, and the field of prosthetics and orthotics is still finding its feet in the Zambian medical scene.
Throughout the years, Loveness and her family visited several local hospitals in search of quality, well-fitting prosthetic legs. It proved to be a challenging endeavour, and having financial constraints made it even harder. “When we finally received a prosthetic leg for her, it didn’t fit well, and maintaining it became an even more defeating task due to long waiting lists for adjustments. It got to a point where she outgrew it, and we just couldn’t afford it anymore,” Gloria shared.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
When CURE Zambia’s prosthetics and orthotics workshop opened in 2024, now 11-year-old Loveness and her family were some of the first parents to be called and booked for a date to return to the hospital for a tailor-made prosthetic leg. When Gloria and Loveness came back to the hospital, they couldn’t believe that they would receive the prosthetic leg without paying, as generous donors had already fully sponsored it. Loveness was quickly measured and fit with a prosthetic leg.
It’s been seven months since Loveness got her tailor-made prosthetic leg at CURE Zambia’s prosthetics and orthotics workshop, and her confidence was evident when she came back for review. “She now goes to school without crutches, which makes me happy. My daughter is a testimony to the great work being done here. I am so grateful to God that we found CURE Zambia. My heavenly father will continue to bless you all for the love and kindness you have shown us,” mused Gloria.
Loveness now enjoys helping her mum with household chores. She can sweep, cook, wash plates, and run errands with ease. Her favourite part about having a prosthetic leg is being able to play and run with her friends in the village.
“I am in grade three now, and my favourite subject is English. When I finish school, I want to become a pastor,” Loveness shared. She was inspired to become a woman of God by her brother, Pastor Joseph, who, throughout Loveness’s life, has always encouraged her with the Word of God, prayed with her, read the Bible with her, and sang gospel songs to her. “If I could encourage someone going through the same predicament as me, I would say to them, ‘My friend, God is powerful. Don’t be afraid. He sees your pain. Trust in Him and pray faithfully. He will give you strength to go through life,’” said Loveness with a smile.
None of this impact would be possible without the support of CURE’s generous friends, partners, and donors, who go above and beyond to ensure that CURE can continue helping kids heal!
Together, we can help even more children like Loveness receive the treatment and equipment they desperately need. Will you join us? Make a gift that demonstrates the love of Christ to more children like Loveness by providing the surgical care they urgently need.
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.
