Alain in Rwanda
Nobody wants to be rejected by those closest to them. But, this is the reality for many families of children with clubfoot. Family and community members feared Alain and his family, calling clubfoot a curse. They believed association, let alone looking at Alain, would bring the curse upon their own families. This left Alain’s parents feeling ashamed and disappointed.
While seeking treatment at the Gahini Rehabilitation Center, a Hope Walks partner clinic, Alain’s mother Mary began opening up to her parent advisor about struggling with depression, grief, rejection and being a clubfoot parent. Together they navigated the ups and downs through prayer and diving into God’s word. Her strength as a mother to put her child first made Mary stand out. She saw treatment as her child’s right and the responsibility of the family, despite the rejection they faced.
While Alain may have been healed from clubfoot, his mother was also healed. When asked about her experience with her parent advisor and Hope Walks, Mary exclaimed “I felt like I was born again….I tried to respect the treatment protocol and now my Alain’s foot looks normal. It was not easy but God made it.”