COVID and Clubfoot: Stories from the front lines
When her daughter Precious was born in Kenya with clubfoot, Josephine was shocked because she had never seen the foot deformity before. Precious? feet still showed no signs of progress even after a private clinic casted her feet seven times. When a friend advised her to go to the Hope Walks partner clinic at the Kijabe AIC-CURE International Hospital, her hopes were not very high.
But persistence paid off and soon Precious? feet improved. She was even able to start wearing a brace. All seemed fine until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Josephine missed several clinic visits. The parent advisor followed up with Josephine and encouraged her to come to the clinic, but by the time she did, Precious? feet were starting to twist again. Back to casting.
With renewed energy to see her daughter?s feet permanently corrected, Josephine again committed herself to see the treatment through to completion. The pandemic made traveling more challenging as she often had to catch three or more connecting vehicles, including a motorcycle, to get to the clinic. Unscrupulous people took advantage of the situation and increased the prices of motorcycle transportation beyond what Josephine could afford forcing her to walk six miles once to get home with Precious in arms.
Despite all of the challenges, God worked in Josephine?s heart, and she accepted Jesus as her savior. She testified that God has really been with her in the long journey of helping her child walk free of the burden of clubfoot. Now she prays that Precious? feet will stay straight and that one day she will live to tell the story.
A Hope Walks parent advisor gives Josephine her own copy of the Bible. Precious looks curious.