(Left to right) Aytenew before treatment, in casts and after casting was completed.
Aytenew in Ethiopia
When the community said a curse caused Aytenew to be born with clubfoot, his parents believed them. For almost a year, they questioned what they had done wrong to be punished this way.
Everything changed when the family heard of another child who had been successfully treated for clubfoot. Wasting no time, they went straight to a Hope Walks partner clinic in Ethiopia.
Even though the clinic was far from their home—and remaining in the city caused financial strain for the farming family—they never missed an appointment. They received steady support from their parent advisor and encouraging words of faith that kept them strong.
Just a few casts later, Aytenew’s family saw that his condition would not be permanent—he would be healed. The family’s perseverance not only transformed their son’s life but also inspired others, showing that clubfoot is not a curse but a treatable condition.
Written by Sarah Mummert