Check-Up | A CURE Magazine, Spring 2023

ON THE COVER:

Big smiles for Mphatso after successful surgery with new surgeon, Dr. Dorothy pg 16

SERVING IN THE SAHEL

Reaching children in a conflict-filled region pg 8

Radio hosts Brant and Sherri are crazy about CUREkids pg 18

CHECK-UP A CURE MAGAZINE SPRING 2023

Check-Up highlights the lives of CUREkids from around the world and those who serve them. The stories capture the physical and spiritual transformation happening around the CURE Children's Hospital Network. This is possible by God's grace and the generous partners and supporters dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable children living with disabilities.

Throughout Check-Up, all hospital references use the shortened version of their legal name.

ABOUT CURE

CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of eight pediatric hospitals providing world-class surgical and intentional ministry care for children living with treatable disabilities. CURE donors help provide services at no cost for families living in poverty.

HOW YOUR GIFTS HELP

Your gifts to CURE International are making a difference in the lives of children across the globe. Your generosity provides access to healthcare and shares the love of Jesus with children and their families. When you give to CURE, your gifts provide life-changing surgical care for children with cleft lip and palate, clubfoot, burn contractures, knock knees, bowed legs, and more. Thank you for your partnership and support.

WE WELCOME COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK!

checkup@cure.org

(616) 512-3105

cure.org

THANK YOU

CURE International 70 Ionia Ave SW Suite 200 Grand Rapids, MI 49503

CURE International thanks all of our donors, including O'Neil Printing for its support in maintaining print industry standards at reduced costs, allowing God's gifts and resources to be faithfully stewarded.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Thank you for making stories of life change possible.

CURE NEWS

Read exciting updates from around the CURE network.

FEATURE STORY SERVING IN THE SAHEL

Your generosity reaches children living in a conflict-filled region.

EVERY CHILD MATTERS

"NOW I HAVE COME THIS FAR"

Andualem was carried by his mother’s love and your support

ON THE FRONTLINES TRAILBLAZER

Dr. Dorothy Bbaale’s heart is to serve Africa’s most vulnerable children.

VISION PARTNERS

Q&A WITH BRANT AND SHERRI

Radio hosts share thoughts on brokenness, beauty, and seeing the kingdom of God in a hospital room.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT A CURE FOR GENERATIONS

CURE International is a top-rated Christian nonprofit organization.

President/CEO, Justin Narducci, on building capacity to reach more children for CURE’s next 25 years.

Copyright 2023 by CURE International. All rights reserved.

letter from the editor

With an abundance of gratitude, we share the following pages of this edition of Check-Up with you. Your partnership makes these stories of life change possible, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Your generous financial and prayer support of CURE reaches across the miles and into the lives and hearts of thousands of children in hard places around the world. It is truly incredible.

It changes everything for children with disabilities living in poverty and under threat of constant attack in Niger. Your generosity finds them, brings them to CURE’s hospital, and provides them with the surgical care they need to walk, smile, and hope again. Check out page 8 for an up-close look!

It comforts mothers like Worke, who move mountains to bring their children to CURE

hospitals, hoping beyond hope that someone will be able to help them. On page 12, meet Worke and see her son's life-changing transformation.

It makes a way to serve more of Malawi’s children by building a new surgery center and staffing it with world-class surgeons like Dr. Dorothy Bbaale. Meet Dr. Dorothy and learn how she is fulfilling God’s call to care for Africa’s most vulnerable children on page 16.

CURE hospitals are a refuge for our patients and families, and within these hospital walls are thousands of stories of life change—the kind that happens when the world’s brokenness meets the beauty of God’s kingdom. Thank you for going to hard places with us and making each story possible.

With Gratitude,

DEBBIE STOWELL Editor-in-Chief

Gregoire (see page 10)

CURE & Smile Train Expand Partnership to Double the Smiles

Each year, 200,000 children are born with cleft lip and palate. In the countries where CURE serves, this is a devastating diagnosis when children can’t get the care they need. Without treatment, they face a lifetime of health challenges, along with shame and ridicule.

It’s why since 2007, CURE and Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft charity, have partnered to provide more than 15,000 cleft surgeries for children across Africa and Southeast Asia. We’re expanding this successful partnership to offer comprehensive cleft care across all of CURE’s hospitals, doubling the number of children CURE can serve every year to 2,500.

This approach to care ensures that every child born with a cleft condition receives more than just surgery; they receive nutritional, hearing, speech, orthodontic, and social support, as well. Susannah Schaefer, Smile Train CEO, says, “Children born with clefts need more than surgery. Together, we’re committed to treating the whole patient through programs that provide access to important comprehensive cleft care services.”

Building a Safe Haven for Families at CURE Kenya

Thousands of families travel hundreds of miles for urgently needed medical care at CURE Kenya each year. But getting there is only half the battle. Many families need a safe place to stay while their children await or recover from surgery. Their options for affordable, temporary housing are extremely limited. That's about to change because of CURE Kenya’s partnership with the M-PESA Foundation—the charitable arm of Kenya’s largest telecommunications provider, Safaricom.

CURE Kenya launched a project to build a new hostel that will serve as a home away from home for patients

As Cyclone Freddy claimed hundreds of lives and displaced more than half a million more, CURE Malawi treated children injured in the flooding.

To learn more about cleft lip/palate surgery, visit cure.org/cleftlip

With your generosity, CURE and Smile Train can bring smiles to more kids like Sharifa in Niger.

Sharifa, before and after being treated at CURE Niger.

CURE Malawi Provides Urgent Medical Care to Children Injured in Flooding

Cyclone Freddy, one of the most powerful tropical storms to hit southern Africa in decades, made landfall for the second time in a month on 12 March 2023. The ensuing flooding has claimed hundreds of lives and left government hospitals overwhelmed with children in desperate need of surgery to repair broken bones and other injuries. In response, CURE provided urgent surgical and ministry care to children injured in the floods, in addition to the regular care provided to children living with treatable disabilities like cleft palate, clubfoot, and bowed legs. Generous donors made this “above and beyond” care possible.

The new hostel will provide a comfortable place for children—many of whom live long distances from the hospital—to recover from surgery.

needing extended care and their families needing a comfortable place to stay. The 21-bed pediatric ward, plus the 16-bed hostel, will allow CURE Kenya to care for even more children and their families.

“This new building will allow us to touch the lives of many more children by increasing the number of surgeries we can perform by more than 50 percent,” says Dr. Evelyn Mbugua, Executive Director of CURE Kenya. “We are grateful for the long-standing and highly impactful partnership with the M-PESA Foundation.”

Elly Chemey, Executive Director of CURE Malawi, says, “The surgical and ministry teams at CURE Malawi, some of whom have lost homes and loved ones themselves, are committed to serving these hurt children and helping prevent their injuries from becoming permanent disabilities. Please join with us in asking God's protection for all affected.”

Photo credit: Navigating floodwaters in Malawi / Photo © UNICEF Malawi - 2023

Hostel under construction in Kenya

CURE International Welcomes New Board Member

Welcome Fred Bw’Ombongi, CURE International’s newest board member. As Vice President of Operations at Allina Health in Minneapolis, Fred is a recognized leader in healthcare administration. More than that, he has a passion to see vulnerable children around the world receive the medical care they need.

Originally from Kenya, he started his career in Grand Rapids, MI, where CURE is headquartered. Fred knows first-hand how strategic CURE’s work is in regions where access to quality healthcare is limited—especially for families of children with treatable disabilities.

“The children who come to CURE hospitals have often been shunned by their communities; they have been rejected and scorned due to a disability. They come to CURE and experience the love and healing of God through our caring staff,” he says. “I am humbled and honored to be part of this ministry that brings healing to so many around the world.”

Night to Shine Puts Spotlight on Special Kids

In addition to providing life-changing surgeries to children with treatable conditions, part of CURE’s work is to reflect Christ’s love to His children who’ve been kept at the margins. Sometimes, that means throwing them an epic dance party.

Partnering with the Tim Tebow Foundation, CURE Philippines hosted Night to Shine in February, gathering more than 100 children (most of them CURE patients) with special needs for a night of fun, dancing, and feeling celebrated. With events in 46 countries—including CURE hospitals in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Malawi—it’s truly a worldwide movement.

The disability community is one of the largest unreached groups in the world, and Night to Shine is a strategic way to connect children and their families to local churches and pastors who’ve been trained by CURE to minister inclusively.

More than 100 children with special needs lit up the room at Night to Shine.

Fred Bw'Ombongi is a recognized leader in healthcare and CURE's newest board member.

Run with a Purpose: Annual Race Funds Children’s Brain Surgeries

CURE Uganda performs more life-saving surgeries for children with hydrocephalus than any other hospital in the world. It takes a global community of generosity to make that happen.

Recently, 300 runners from Uganda and across Africa laced up their shoes to participate in the 6th annual CURE Uganda Brain Surgery Run. They raised $44,079—enough to help 26 children with life-threatening neurological conditions receive the surgical care they need.

CURE Uganda strengthens the quality of neurological care globally by serving as a center of excellence and training surgeons from Africa and around the world. CURE Uganda Executive Director Tim Erickson thanked all the sponsors “for making these neurosurgical miracles possible for our precious patients and their families.”

To learn more about hydrocephalus, a life-threatening brain condition, visit cure.org/conditionswetreat

Sarah is one of thousands of children with neurological conditions CURE Uganda treats each year.

Community members run to provide life-saving surgeries to children.

serving in the sahel

serving in the sahel

When you pass through the gates at CURE Niger, the first thing you notice—besides the sweltering heat—is the beauty. On this patch of land on the northern edge of the capital city of Niamey, there are thousands of plants, hundreds of trees, bright colors, walking paths, and the country’s best—and only—wheelchair-accessible playground.

There’s almost no trace that before this land was home to Niger’s only pediatric hospital, it was a literal garbage dump—abandoned, deserted, neglected. Today, the hospital stands as a visual metaphor for the transformation our partners make possible in one of the hardest places on earth.

PRESSED BY POVERTY

Niger is ranked by the United Nations as one of the least developed countries in the world. “I’ve seen poverty because of communism in Romania and because of civil war in Afghanistan. But I’ve never seen poverty like in Niger,” says George Găvruș, Executive Director of CURE Niger. “Many of our patients suffer from hunger. They come from small

SAHEL REGION CURE

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO RUN A CHARITABLE PEDIATRIC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN NIGER? IN A WORD: BEAUTIFUL.

sahel

sahel

villages. There’s no access to healthcare. Nothing is accessible in this country full of obstacles.”

For Niger’s estimated 665,000 children living with treatable diseases, the obstacles are almost insurmountable. Often, children arrive at CURE severely malnourished. That’s why CURE provides patients and their caregivers three meals per day to help them safely undergo surgery. They also send families home with a 50 lb. bag of rice.

Because children often need to stay at the hospital for weeks or even months, the hospital began a vocational training program to teach marketable skills like sewing, jewelry making, and knitting to moms and caregivers.

TORN BY TRAUMA

There are over 224,000 internally displaced people in Niger, and almost half of that number comes from families fleeing

terrorist attacks. Life as a refugee is hard enough— add to that a physical disability, and it becomes nearly impossible. That’s why CURE’s mobile clinics go to these conflict-filled regions to deliver care to vulnerable children. We partner with and train local pastors, equipping them to better serve their communities and to help CURE identify kids in need of surgical intervention.

They come

Paul is one of these pastors who helped us identify Gregoire, a young boy living about 55 miles from Niamey, near the border with Burkina Faso. Gregoire developed a condition that caused his leg to swell and grow unevenly,

“Many of our patients suffer from hunger.

from small villages. There’s no access to healthcare. Nothing is accessible in this country full of obstacles.”

- GEORGE GĂVRUȘ, Executive Director Of CURE Niger

preventing him from walking or working the family farm. His village regularly comes under attack by terrorists.

“We run into the bushes and wait for them to leave. Sometimes they even take people. People live every day in fear,” Kifalba, Gregoire’s mom, says. “Here at CURE, I found security. I was provided with shelter, food, medical help, and I thank God for it every time.”

Gregoire is also thanking God today for the many surgeries he received at CURE. He says,

MINISTRY AMONG MUSLIMS

At CURE Niger, patients like Gregoire receive more than just life-changing medical care. They receive compassionate ministry care that helps them process the trauma that comes from living under pressure and in poverty.

Emanuel Mayaki, the Spiritual Director at CURE Niger, leads the team that cares for these emotional burdens from a biblical perspective. He says, “Patients come to our hospital with huge needs. Most of the patients come from terrorist-run areas. It’s a nightmare for them. They are not at peace; they are always thinking that an attack is coming. It’s challenging to encourage them. Simply saying ‘God loves you’ is not enough.”

Emanuel and his team spend time listening to their stories. For children who often aren’t encouraged to speak up in Nigerien culture, this is powerful. Through art therapy, organized play, free time in the playroom and on the state-of-the-art playground, they can experience the joy that comes from just being children.

After multiple surgeries, an orthotic shoe helps Gregoire walk as doctors continue work to even out his legs.

Gregoire had a dislocated hip, and his legs were crooked and different lengths.

“Now I can walk around. I don’t feel ashamed, and I do not depend on anyone for that. People are amazed to see me walking, saying God is great."

In Niger, where nearly 98 percent of the population is Muslim, this is the first time that many hear about Jesus or experience care from Christians. Because there is a culture of hostility toward Christians, Emanuel says that the CURE team is sensitive and intentional about sharing the gospel message.

“We have a challenge sharing the gospel in groups because people are afraid of being criticized for being open to the message. But, we can share with them one by one,” he says.

Since its inception, CURE Niger has reached more than 20,000 Muslims with the gospel, and nearly 9,000 have professed faith in Christ. Safaatou (pictured above), a young girl from a devout Muslim family who came to CURE with her sisters for treatment for a bone condition, is among them.

Safaatou says, “When we came here, we went to the prayer meetings and learned about Jesus, and we decided to accept Him. We learned about His life and that He loves us.”

Today, the sisters are recovering at home and walking with Jesus. Safaatou says that people who thought demons were responsible for their condition are now amazed to see them walking. “I always tell them one thing: Jesus is stronger than the demons!”

On behalf of children like Gregoire and Safaatou, we thank you for your partnership with CURE in Niger. Through you, they and their families receive transformational medical care and learn that there can be hope, even in hard places..

Your Impact with CURE Niger in 2022

1,242 surgical procedures

169 healthcare workers trained

5,108 people reached with the gospel

254 decisions for Christ

Niger at-a-glance

Population: 25 million

Religion: 98% Islam

1% Evangelical Christian

Niger faces instability in the areas bordering Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Mali, where armed groups carry out repeated attacks against civilians. (Data from The World Bank and Pew Research Center)

Safaatou loves learning about Jesus—and hanging out on the playground—at CURE Niger.

“When we came here, we went to the prayer meetings and learned about Jesus, and we decided to accept Him. We learned about His life and that He loves us.”

-SAFAATOU

CARRIED BY A MOTHER’S LOVE AND YOUR GENEROSITY andualembefore

There’s more to Andualem’s story than his physical transformation and the surgeries that gave him the ability to walk on his feet instead of his knees.

Perhaps one of the more meaningful changes in his life? He tells us: “Before Andualem, I had another name.”

Andualem was born with painful mobility problems caused by bilateral clubfoot (affecting both feet) and tightening muscles in his legs and wrist. His parents sought treatment at a local hospital near their home in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. After treatment, he was left with both legs locked at a 90-degree angle, forcing him to crawl on his knees and use his hands for balance.

His mom, Worke, said, “I called him Ayichew [meaning ‘I saw him’ in Amharic], thinking to myself, let me see what he will become.”

What he became was a spirited, intelligent little boy who, unbound by his severe physical limitations, had unlimited dreams for himself. “I often saw myself walking upright and running in my dreams,” he said. “I lived in the hope that I would one day walk and run.”

Andualem is standing today through his mother's love and your generosity.

Every dreamer needs a champion, and for Andualem, that was his mom. She was determined to do anything she could to give her son a future. But dreams only get you so far.

CARRIED BY A MOTHER’S LOVE

Ethiopia’s 2.7 million children living with treatable disabilities often remain at the fringes of society–unable to go to school, vulnerable to deepening poverty, and mocked in their communities.

Worke knew that without an education, Andualem would have little hope of a future. Despite his father’s resistance, she enrolled him in school and carried him each way on her back. It was then that she changed his name from Ayichew (“let me see what he will become”) to Andualem, who already knew that God had a plan for his life.

CONNECTED TO CURE BY A STRANGER’S KINDNESS

One day, a driver saw Worke struggling to carry her growing son to school and stopped to learn their story. The driver came back later with a wheelchair from a local healthcare center–and a recommendation to visit CURE Ethiopia.

Andualem received his first surgery in 2013 at age 14. After multiple surgeries over four years, today Andualem is walking and pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor. Even better, his heart is at peace with God thanks to CURE Ethiopia’s ministry team. Andualem said, “They helped me have hope and not get stressed out. They showed me love and humility and taught me Bible verses.”

Andualem believes God had a plan for his life and that your generosity was a part of that plan: “God has brought me this far . . . He wanted to use me as an example to show His healing. CURE has done so much for me . . . I’d like to thank everyone who supported my healing through their donations.”

RENEWED COMMUNITY

When children receive the transformational medical care they desperately need, their communities experience change as well. When Andualem returned home, he said the community that once mocked him welcomed him “like I was some important official.” Children ran out to greet him, bulls were slaughtered, which is customary for celebrations, and 60 teachers were invited to join the party.

“My healing re-established the relationship I had with members of my community,” said Andualem. “People who were distant became close friends . . . and many said, ‘If people who didn’t even know Andualem could treat him and help him walk, much more is expected from us.’”

Worke can rest a little easier now and tells us, “People are also amazed when they see Andualem. They tell me, ‘You have seen how far your son has come; you can die without any regrets.’”

Andualem’s transformation is a testament to a mother’s love, the generosity of CURE's donors, and a God who loves all His children and calls them by name. (John 10:3).

Andualem kept up with his studies and his dreams of becoming a doctor to "treat children with disabilities just as CURE treated me."

born again

Andualem wrote a poem, excerpted here, about how surgery changed his life. Visit cure.org/andualem to read it in full.

A POEM BY ANDUALEM

Nine months in her womb, a mother carried her child. She then gave birth to me and became low in status. My mother was alone, she cried tears of sorrow. When people judged her, saying she was a sinner, CURE hospital came to her rescue. In order to raise her child, she faced many challenges. She was in deep despair, having no one to share her burden. She lived her life in sorrow, sacrificing everything for me.

Brothers and sisters hated me, they were appalled by me. When everyone I knew turned their backs on me, CURE hospital came to the rescue, and gave my life hope. For twelve long years, I was a cripple, But here I am now, giving my life testimony, For me, CURE, is a mother and a father, They wiped away my tears, and helped me walk upright . . .

Scan here to watch a video of Andualem's incredible transformation.

"God has brought me this far...He wanted to use me as an example to show His healing."

-ANDUALEM

Andualem says, "I'd like to thank everyone who supported my healing."

trailblazer

Ugandan-Born Plastic Surgeon Brings Care and Expertise to CURE Malawi

Dr. Dorothy Bbaale is somewhat of a trailblazer. There are only five registered plastic surgeons for Malawi’s nearly 20 million people, and Dr. Dorothy is now among them. She recently joined the medical team at CURE Malawi, where, as one of the few females in a maledominated field, she’ll bring plastic and reconstructive surgery services to Malawi’s most vulnerable children.

“There is a great and dire need for more reconstructive surgeons,” Dr. Dorothy says.

“The chance to heal children is the greatest joy of my life—and the chance to do it here at CURE Malawi is a dream come true.”

EXPANDING IMPACT TO MEET AN URGENT NEED

Every year, because of the country’s critical lack of surgical capacity, thousands of Malawi’s children needlessly suffer from treatable conditions like burn contractures and cleft lip and palate. They are often left marginalized and vulnerable to abuse.

“The chance to heal children is the greatest joy of my life— and the chance to do it here at CURE Malawi is a dream come true.”

CURE Malawi is expanding its capacity to serve even more of these children in more ways, including through plastic and reconstructive care. In December 2022, the hospital broke ground on a new surgical center and plans to expand its current

Dr. Dorothy (right) performing surgery on Mphatso's right leg at CURE Malawi.

Highlighting healthcare workers serving CURE patients around the world

hospital capacity by 30 percent to treat 2,500 children each year. Healing more children requires more skilled surgeons, and we’re grateful Dr. Dorothy is living out Isaiah’s cry: “Here I am, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

A HEART FOR AFRICA'S CHILDREN

While she was finishing her post-graduate training at CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital in Uganda, where she’s originally from, she learned about CURE International from one of her trainers, Dr. Andew Hodges, who now serves at CURE Zimbabwe. When her post-graduate training was done, Dr. Dorothy could have continued her career in just about any region of the world. But, she served three-month stints at CURE’s hospitals in the Philippines and Ethiopia, where she grew as a surgeon and fell in love with CURE’s mission to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Dr. Dorothy says, “My heart has always been to help children in Africa and low- and middle-income countries, where the help is needed most. CURE brings quality services to those who need it most, at absolutely no cost . . . We not only change their lives through surgery but also through the gospel preached every day. It is a privilege to be able to openly share the message of hope in Christ.”

HOPE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE

With Dr. Dorothy on the surgical team at CURE Malawi, it means new life for children like Mphatso—the young boy with a shy smile who loves balloons, candy, and playing. But a burn to his right leg caused painful scarring that limits his mobility and his future. Mphatso's grandma shared how surgery will repair more than just his knee: “I know how he struggles to fit into our community with the other kids, at school, play areas, and any public place. [After surgery], life will never be the same for my grandson.”

After a successful surgery, Mphatso was discharged from CURE with a balloon in his hand and new hope in his heart. Dr. Dorothy looks forward to helping heal more children like Mphatso at CURE Malawi.

“It is such a blessing to be used by God as an instrument to do His work,” she said. “And in the end, we are the ones who are truly blessed to have a chance to serve these people every day. Their faith and trust in God push me to do better.”.

The skin on Mphatso’s right leg fused together after a fire, preventing him from walking and limiting his hope of an independent future.

Did you know: CURE added nine surgeons across our hospital network in 2022.

Mphatso after surgery at CURE Malawi

Mphatso before

Highlighting CURE partners who help heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God

Brant Hansen and Sherri Lynn, hosts of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Brant Hansen Show, are passionate CURE advocates. We caught up with them to ask why they care so much about helping children with disabilities. Here's what they shared.

How did you both get involved with CURE?

Brant: I’d been asked to introduce CURE at a concert years ago. When I learned about the ministry, I thought, now that sounds like Jesus! I try to use pretty much everything I do to feature CURE at some level because the work of CURE helps people understand what the kingdom of God looks like. CURE is a vivid chance to see what God is up to in the world.

Sherri: When I started working with Brant 10 years ago, he introduced me to CURE. I became passionate when I met some of the CURE doctors and ministry leaders. I was so moved by their servant hearts. I felt like, “I want to be a part of that!”

Brant, you’ve visited many CURE hospitals. What would you want to share about the kids CURE serves?

Brant: The kids CURE serves are considered cursed in their own communities. People need to know the spiritual power of what’s happening for these kids. Their identities are being

renewed. That’s even bigger than the physical healing. They find out they’re not cursed they’re blessed. Can you imagine what that does to a kid? Or to their village or neighborhood? I love those stories when the kids come back after surgery and tell us, “People used to laugh at me, throw rocks at me now they ask me, ‘Who did this? How could this happen?’ and I tell them Jesus did it!”

Sherri, you recently visited CURE’s hospital in Niger, which is one of the world’s poorest and most conflict-filled regions. What impacted you most?

Sherri: Niger is very hot. It’s dusty. It’s humid. The hospital is literally built right next to a huge trash heap and protected by armed guards. But once you pass through the gate, it’s unspeakable beauty. It is visually a representation of what I believe the kingdom of God to be: you have all this mess of a fallen world but, because of Christ, you enter beauty.

"[CURE Niger] is visually a representation of what I believe the kingdom of God to be: you have all this mess of a fallen world but, because of Christ, you enter beauty."

-SHERRI

HILARIOUS, PASSIONATE RADIO HOSTS OF THE BRANT HANSEN SHOW TALK ABOUT BROKENNESS, BEAUTY, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Then I look over and see a little girl coming toward me on crutches, and I just lose it. The reality of the moment hit me that here is this place that I’ve talked about so lovingly for so many years on the air, encouraging people to give and to be a part of this ministry. And now I’m looking at this little girl who is going to walk because of God’s people.

Can you tell us about one of the CUREkids you met in Niger?

Sherri: I met a mom named Aissa. She had traveled very far to bring her son, Ousmane, to the hospital. He’d been bitten by a snake. Local village healers put some oil on his hand to remove the venom, but it fused his hand to his arm, so he couldn’t move it. Fast forward two days to the hospital’s anniversary celebration. I looked over at the kids gathered and saw a little boy with his arm in a cast. It was Ousmane. Again, I lost it. It’s a miracle that somebody in America listening to the radio picked up the

phone and said, “Sure, I'll give CURE $40 a month.” And it’s like that gift just travels over to this little boy who can now celebrate. Two days ago, I was praying with his family as his arm was fused together. Now, it’s not.

What gets you excited about the impact of healing on kids?

Brant: I refer to healing as an “advance trailer” of heaven. We get to see the kingdom of God breaking through. And gosh, do I love seeing the absolute joy. For moms, dads, kids, doctors, staff, donors, everybody—it’s joy for everybody.

Sherri: What always blows my mind is the generational impact. Healing is permanent, right? So forever, that child has that story of how they were healed because of Jesus. And then they become adults with that story, and then they tell their kids, and then those kids tell their kids, and it just keeps going. The whole

OUSMANE

before after A A

Sherri was blessed to meet kids like Ousmane whose lives have changed through generous partners like you.

“Now my arm is straight! I will tell my friends in the village that Jesus heals and loves everyone!”

-OUSMANE

trajectory of a generation is changed with one child’s life-changing surgery. That’s just crazy to me, and I’m so honored to have a small part in it.

What’s your message to people who haven’t been to a CURE hospital?

Brant: There are thousands of kids’ stories in each CURE hospital—all profound, almost beyond words. What happens in that operating room is the most beautiful, poetic worship service I’ve ever been in. It’s a holy place. It’s literally “set apart” for the work of God, and that’s exactly what we witness there.

Sherri: Miracles happen at CURE every day. I remember walking through the CURE hospital in Niger during a weekend and seeing an empty

waiting room full of benches. The staff told me, “Come Monday, those benches will be full.”

Sure enough, I go there Monday, and it’s just what I would envision it looked like when people were waiting for Jesus.

You’re just there hoping against hope—praying to God that someone can help your baby. It felt very biblical to me..

Brant meets one of CURE Zambia’s coolest patients, Maureen.

Sherri says, “Miracles happen at CURE every day.” Here she is pictured with a few “miracles” she met at CURE Niger.

"What happens in that operating room is the most beautiful, poetic worship service I’ve ever been in. It’s a holy place. It’s literally 'set apart' for the work of God, and that’s exactly what we witness there."

-BRANT

BY JUSTIN NARDUCCI | President/CEO

Twenty-five years ago, the first CURE hospital opened its doors in Kijabe, Kenya. It brought to life the vision of our founders—Dr. and Mrs. Scott and Sally Harrison—to provide free surgical care and demonstrate the love of Jesus to children suffering from debilitating yet treatable disabilities. Children who truly had no other options.

Thousands of generous partners like you propelled that vision forward, and today CURE has grown into a network of eight hospitals spread across Africa and Asia. Together, we’ve performed 325,000+ surgeries and have witnessed hundreds of thousands of people commit their lives to Jesus. It has been a remarkable 25 years!

BUILDING FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS

We envision a world where every child, regardless of economic standing, will have access to the life-changing surgical care they need and deserve. Which is why, over the next two years, CURE partners are investing $30M to expand and upgrade our current hospitals so we can serve twice as many children as we do today. These expansions include 26 new operating rooms, an additional 150 recovery beds, and upgrades to our energy infrastructure—including solar power—that help provide steady and affordable energy to power our hospitals.

These enhancements will allow us to care for and minister to even more kids, and to do so quickly. Recently, CURE Kenya broke ground on an expanded children’s ward and new patient hostel to increase the number of children they can serve by 50 percent. CURE Uganda’s new intensive care unit will increase the number of patients they can care for at one time by 80 percent. These are just a few examples of how transformative these projects can be.

And all of this is made possible through God’s amazing grace and your generous partnership in the mission. Thank you for helping us build a CURE that will serve hundreds of thousands more children for generations to come!.

take the trip of a lifetime with CURE

Come with us to meet some of the incredible kids whose lives you've helped change through CURE.

Your adventure will include planned excursions, plenty of time to enjoy local culture, and a visit to a CURE hospital (or two) to see the ministry your generosity makes possible.

Visit cure.org/journeys for itineraries, dates, and more information.

Biete Ghiorgis, (House of St. George) Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

Elephants wading in water from the Chobe river in Zimbabwe

Giraffes grazing on the Masai Mara

KENYA

ZIMBABWE NIGER + ETHIOPIA