Islah in Sudan
Sufian and his wife have six children. But none of them looked like Islah when she was born with twisted feet due to the common birth defect known as clubfoot. After three months of not knowing what to do, her parents finally took her to an orthopedic doctor who proposed a very expensive treatment.
Even though this family is considered middle class in Sudan, the proposed treatment was too much for this family to afford. They returned to their village from Khartoum with their hopes crushed. They decided treatment would not be possible for their daughter due to their financial situation. One family member thought this was just as well because she warned about playing with God’s creation and just accept their daughter with her conditions.
But Sufian was driven by compassion to find treatment for his daughter. He too suffers from a foot deformity (not clubfoot) so he knows all too well the burden of living with such a condition.
Fortunately, an aunt knew a co-worker whose daughter also was born with clubfoot and was treated at KCH, the Hope Walks partner clinic in Khartoum. Islah’s parents were able to get to the clinic once she was 10-months old. Casting started right away.
Within three weeks of the first cast, Islah’s feet were noticeably more straight. New hope was now within reach of this family. Today, she wears braces to maintain the correction to her feet.
“There is always a way and a reason for everything and I never gave hope on treating my daughter. Until this day, I will continue until she can run in front of me,” Sufian said. That day is coming soon for this little girl.
Islah in the brace stage sitting with her dad
Islah standing on straight feet