?They never expected this miracle.?
Shabir from Mozambique
Some of the families we meet from remote villages have no context for things many people consider to be common?things like water faucets, toilets, and doorknobs (sometimes, even doors). So imagine living in a remote village along the coast of Mozambique and having a child born with severe clubfoot. Both feet are twisted inward and upward? and you?ve never seen anything like it before.
This is what happened to Shabir?s family. No one had ever seen someone born with clubfoot before, so when Shabir was born, they fell to the only conclusion they could draw from the situation: they assumed he was a demon.
Because Shabir was born at one of the main hospitals in the area, someone recognized his condition and referred him? A clinic counselor shared the good news: Shabir had a correctable condition that could be treated through a series of casts and braces. He could be completely healed if he started treatment right away.
But even with that knowledge, Shabir?s family remained unconvinced. It took weeks of counseling and education to convince Shabir?s mother that his feet really could be straightened.
Our counselors do this important work often. It?s not just educating families about a condition and helping them through the treatment process; it?s instilling hope that change is possible.
And it is possible! After Shabir?s second set of casts came off, his mom could see the difference in his feet. His family was elated. Our counselor on the ground reported, ?They never expected this miracle.?