Amandine & Ghyslaine in Burundi
Families often carry a lot of baggage from one generation to another. For one family in Burundi, that baggage was clubfoot found in a grandmother, mom and two of her children. With so many family members born with this condition, Mom Olivia thought she was part of a family curse. But thanks to a church connection, Olivia was given hope that her two daughters, Amandine and Ghyslaine, might finally break the cycle of disability.
Sadly, the grandmother never found treatment and passed away with untreated clubfoot. Olivia herself is an adult with untreated clubfoot. This family believed treatment was not possible and Olivia faced ridicule for both herself and her children.
She hid her daughter Ghyslaine after she was born with clubfoot. When Amandine was also born with the condition, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She got the courage to take the children to a church leader. God had a special purpose for this leader. You see, he also had a child with clubfoot and knew it could be treated.
The church supported this poor mother by raising funds to pay for transportation and meals when they traveled the long distance to the clinic. God’s people rose up yet again when the headmaster of the clinic agreed to house Olivia and her children while they went through the casting process, which requires weekly visits.
By following the advice of her church, Olivia found hope. Her faith in Jesus Christ is now growing and she believes in her heart that her children’s feet will be completely corrected. They will not face the same physical and social challenges she has had to endure her entire life.
