Blessing's Story: A Healing Testament to Faith, Hope and Love
Hello May 3rd, 2024
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7-year-old girl in Zimbabwe finds hope and healing from severe burn injury.
In Zimbabwe, open fires are a key part of daily life. Families rely on fires to cook their meals and provide warmth at night. Fires, however, also present significant risks, particularly for children who may not yet be familiar with safe practices around them.
According to TTF ministry partner CURE International, “Unfortunately, the mixture of open fires and young children sometimes ends with a devastating injury. Children in low-income countries often cannot access the medical care they need to address the burns adequately.”
Sadly, this was the case for eight-month-old Blessing.
Blessing was playing near an open fire as an infant when she accidentally touched the hot coals, severely burning her right hand. Because Blessing’s family didn’t have the financial means to take her to the hospital, they treated her burns at home with what they had readily available. Her family did the best they knew with what they had but because of the severity of the burns, Blessing really needed professional medical treatment.
Although she recovered, the burns were so severe that they caused contractures: a condition when skin, muscles, and ligaments tighten and become fixed. As a result, Blessing’s right hand became permanently closed into a fist, leaving her unable to use her fingers.
For seven years, Blessing learned to adapt to life with one hand, relying on her left hand for most tasks.
Her mom, Sharai, shared that despite her injury, Blessing’s enthusiasm for life was hard to ignore. However, even with the best of attitudes, she still had to endure unkind comments from other kids in their community because of the visible difference in her right hand. Because of these interactions, Blessing became more and more withdrawn from others.
Blessing found renewed hope one day when her mom's friend told them about CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe, which provides specialized medical care for children with profound medical needs.
They traveled to CURE Zimbabwe for a visit and were overjoyed to hear that the surgeons could help Blessing get the medical attention she desperately needed!
"I hope Blessing will be able to feed herself and even help me with chores," her mom, Sharai said. "Also, she will no longer be ashamed of her hand.”
After seven years of enduring and adapting to life with one hand, Blessing found hope that maybe she could regain more use of her right hand. This would greatly enhance her quality of life.
On September 13, 2023, Blessing underwent a successful surgery to repair the burn contractures. During recovery at the Tebow Care Center, Blessing still felt pain, but with the careful supervision of Dr. Hodges, her post-op graft check went well.
Along with the loving attention to her physical healing, the caring staff at CURE Zimbabwe also prayed and shared the good news of the Gospel with her. With their encouragement and the knowledge that God has a good plan for her future, Blessing looked forward to her recovery with excitement.
Blessing’s story shows that God’s timing is always perfect — bringing her a brighter day in her darkest hour of need. Because of the generosity of our giving family, Blessing's future looks drastically different than just a few months ago.
TTF has the heart to share the Gospel with as many vulnerable people as possible to help them know their inherent value and worth as beloved child of God. Through our mission, we seek to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those with profound medical needs through the hope of accessible medical care.
You can help us reach more people with profound medical needs around the globe awaiting life-changing surgeries and care. Will you prayerfully consider partnering with us to help us reach one more child in need?
