Olga in Rwanda
Olga was just three weeks old when hospital staff told her parents, Esther and Umukunzi, that their newborn daughter had clubfoot. The news came with reassurance: clubfoot is treatable. The family was referred right away to a Hope Walks-supported clinic, and Olga’s treatment began before she was a month old.
Olga is the youngest of two children in a close Christian family. Her father serves as a pastor at a Baptist church, and their faith carried them through the early days of uncertainty. Friends, neighbors and members of their church surrounded the family with encouragement and prayer. Esther and Umukunzi also showed up for each other, attending every single clinic visit together as Olga’s feet were gently corrected week by week.
The casting process was the hardest part. “It was difficult to watch her experience discomfort, but we remained committed to the treatment plan, knowing that each visit was bringing her closer to walking with healthy feet,” Esther said. Along the way, Parent Advisor Cyprien counseled the family, helping them understand each stage of Olga’s care and encouraging them to keep every appointment. That support, paired with their own faith, kept them going.
Their patience paid off. At every visit, Olga’s feet grew straighter, and the family celebrated the day she took her first confident steps on properly aligned feet. Watching her walk, run and play like any other child renewed their hope for her future.
“When Olga was born, we worried about what her future would look like,” her parents said. “Today, seeing her walk, run and smile without pain fills our hearts with joy and gratitude. Her healing is an answer to our prayers and a reminder that there is always hope.” Now they encourage other parents facing a clubfoot diagnosis to seek treatment early and trust the process, and they help families who cannot afford day shoes so more children can complete their journey to healthy feet.
(Left) Olga standing on beautiful straight feet ready to take on the world. (Right) Parent Advisor Pastor Cyprien reviews the basics of clubfoot with Olga’s mom and dad.