Check-Up | A CURE Magazine, Issue 5

A MAGAZINE 2023 | ISSUE 5

FEATURE STORY

Local pastors and churches team up with CURE to help kids heal. pg 8

ON THE COVER CURE board member Marcia McIntyre fell in love with West Africa, and it changed thousands of lives. pg 18

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CHECK-UP A CURE MAGAZINE 2023 | ISSUE 5 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.

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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

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

THANK YOU 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.

CURE International is a top-rated Christian nonprofit organization.

Copyright 2023 by CURE International. All rights reserved.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Thank you for making stories of transformation possible.

CURE NEWS Read exciting updates from around the CURE network.

FEATURE STORY

THEOLOGY OF DISABILITY Training local pastors brings transformation to communities.

EVERY CHILD MATTERS

“OUR SOULS ARE FREE” Three sisters from Niger find new life and a new walk with Jesus.

ON THE FRONTLINES

LED TO LEAD Dr. Tim Nunn is equipping Ethiopia’s next generation of surgeons.

VISION PARTNERS

A STEP OF FAITH Marcia McIntyre never thought Africa would feel like home. God had other plans.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Justin Narducci shares CURE´s vision to expand our medical team and our impact.

Safaatou, Farida, and Inaya (from L to R) met Jesus at CURE Niger.

letter from the editor Heal the sick & proclaim the kingdom of God -Luke 9:2

Putting together this issue of Check-Up, like every issue, is a celebration of your faithful partnership. Your commitment to helping kids heal embodies Luke 9:2 as, together with CURE, you heal the the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. It is my prayer that in the following pages you will see how your partnership is changing lives.

I see your impact in the story of the three Nigerien sisters (page 12) whose debilitating bone condition prevented them from walking. After they received care from CURE, they are not only walking—they are walking with Christ as new believers. God uses us together, in His abundant mercy, to make this possible.

Your fingerprints are on every new mobile clinic launched, surgical milestone reached, and hospital ward expanded (page 4-6).

And as we strengthen our ministry by connecting with local pastors (page 8) and hiring more surgeons (page 22), it is your support that carries God’s mission to children in need. Thank you!

With Gratitude,

DEBBIE STOWELL Editor-in-Chief

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You've empowered world-class surgeons like Dr. Tim Mead (page 7) and Dr. Tim Nunn (page 16) as they improve local healthcare

systems and bring exceptional surgical care to children left on the margins of their communities.

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CURE NEWS

Niger’s New Playroom Makes Healing Fun Thanks to donors, CURE Niger recently gave patients a new place to play!

The team departs for Juba, South Sudan.

Partners helped provide the furnishings and building materials, and the team in Niger transformed them into the hospital's new kid-friendly playroom—complete with airconditioning and a wheelchair-accessible ramp.

Children often come to CURE feeling unwanted, unloved, and carrying physical and spiritual burdens. The playroom is a safe space for them to enjoy crafts and games, make new friends, begin to share their stories, and learn about the love they have in Jesus.

Scan to view the time-lapse video.

Dr. Isaac Ddamulira assesses a patient at the clinic.

CURE Ethiopia Surgeon Wins Prestigious Award Dr. Tim Nunn, Medical Director at CURE Ethiopia, was awarded the annual L’Chaim Prize for Outstanding Christian Missionary Service. The annual prize of $500,000 is funded by Mark and Erica Gerson and awarded by African Mission Healthcare to fund strategic projects that change lives.

Little Raouda (left), receiving care for a burn contracture, enjoys play therapy with Georgiana Găvruș (right), wife of CURE Niger's Executive Director, George Găvruș.

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The award will help launch and expand Ethiopia’s first and only pediatric spinal program for the country’s nearly 50,000 children in need of surgery to correct spinal conditions. This means that together, we can bring much-needed medical care to more Ethiopian children suffering from spinal deformities like Ketora (pictured on the right). Dr. Tim says, “Without

CURE Doctors Bring Lifesaving Care to South Sudan Life-threatening neurological conditions like hydrocephalus and spina bifida are almost always fatal, especially where children have almost no access to the specialty neurosurgical care they need. CURE is committed to reaching those children.

Through our partnership with Mission Aviation Fellowship, CURE Uganda is now flying lifesaving care into South Sudan to reach and serve children with neurological conditions. Early this May, CURE’s team of doctors and ministry leaders conducted a two-day visit to Juba, South Sudan, to provide medical assessments, share the gospel message, and refer patients to CURE’s hospital in Uganda. This is the first of many planned trips to reach South Sudanese children with the neurosurgical care they need.

Visit cure.org/uganda to help provide life-saving medical care to children.

treatment, her scoliosis would become so severe that it would badly affect her breathing and possibly her heart . . . With early interventions such as casting, bracing, and surgical growing rods, we hope to help many like Ketora avoid such a fate.” Learn more about Dr. Tim on page 16.

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Casting helps correct Ketora's scoliosis. After casting, surgery will keep her spine straight.

Because of the award, CURE Ethiopia and Dr. Tim (right) can provide more surgeries for children with scoliosis like Ketora.

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CURE NEWS

CURE Malawi Reaches Students with the Gospel In Malawi, CURE recently began reaching out to schools to share the gospel, identify patients in need of surgeries, and educate students about how to advocate and care for others with disabilities.

“Children are among the most effective messengers,” says CURE’s Head of Spiritual Ministry, Earnest Kioko.

“They are bold in sharing what they learn—and the school is a good platform to share CURE’s mission.

CURE Kenya has been doing this for years.” So far this year, CURE Malawi has reached 1,871 students with the message of the gospel, and 829 have made decisions to follow Jesus.

Children like Winifore, who has a limb condition that makes walking painful, are identified and brought to CURE for much-needed surgical care. While Winifore underwent treatment to School outreaches straighten his leg, CURE’s spiritual help CURE find ministry team gave him a Bible. children and He says, "I find love, joy, peace, and teens in need, comfort when I read it.” like Winifore.

Dr. Tim and Jana Mead receive the first CURE Lifetime Achievement Award.

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During his treatment, Winifore reads his Bible given to him by CURE.

Dr. Tim and his wife, Jana, on the ground in Kenya with their family in 1998.

325,000 Surgeries Completed . . . and Counting!

CURE hit a milestone—325,000 surgical procedures completed—and we celebrate moving closer to a world where every child, regardless of economic standing, has access to the life-changing surgical care they need. With that goal in mind, through the generous support of partners like you, we are upgrading our current hospitals so we can serve twice as many children as we do today. Of course, the real celebration is that behind these numbers are the lives of children who are forever changed as they receive surgical care and experience the love of Jesus.

before surgery

after surgery

Dr. Moyo (center) of CURE Zambia performs one of CURE’s 325,000 life-changing surgical procedures.

More surgeries mean more awesome transformations for kids like Claus!

Honoring Dr. Mead – CURE’s First Surgeon Dr. Tim Mead is the recipient of CURE’s first Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Tim was running a successful orthopedic practice in western Michigan when he and his wife, Jana, responded to God’s call—and the prayers of many—and moved their family to Kenya.

Tim served as CURE’s first surgeon, and Jana served in multiple roles throughout the hospital.

When they arrived in Kenya, there were only a handful of orthopedic surgeons for a country of 30 million people. That was 25 years ago.

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Since that time, Dr. Tim has served with CURE as a surgeon, medical director, trainer, and mentor.

He started Kenya's first orthopedic residency training program, which has graduated more than 100 surgeons. Each of those 100 surgeons can do roughly 500 surgeries a year—meaning Dr. Tim has multiplied his impact into 50,000 surgeries each year. He retired in 2018 and remains on CURE’s medical advisory board. Thank you, Dr. Tim!

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FEATURE STORY

Ethel recovers from surgery at CURE Malawi.

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Training Pastors to Transform Communities PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL PASTORS AND CHURCHES EXTENDS CURE’S IMPACT—AND THE GOSPEL MESSAGE— BEYOND HOSPITAL WALLS.

Pastor Blessings talks with Ethel and her mom, Patricia (center), about the good news that awaits them at CURE.

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hen Pastor Blessings Maganga saw Ethel in the marketplace of Malawi’s rural Thyolo district, like most people, the first thing he noticed was her clubfoot.

Ethel’s condition forced her to walk painfully on her ankles—and it prevented people from noticing other qualities like her gentle smile, her dignified poise, and her peaceful spirit. In countries where CURE serves, a disability is often seen as a shameful curse. And even within Christian communities, many lack the understanding that all children are a blessing from God.

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Ethel’s clubfoot limited her mobility and made her feel “cursed.” When CURE began training pastors in her community, lives like Ethel’s began to change.

But Pastor Blessings is part of a growing network of pastors trained by CURE to view disability through the lens of scripture. So, while he noticed Ethel’s clubfoot, he saw her as made in God’s image. Because of this, everything changed for Ethel.

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FEATURE STORY

THEOLOGY THAT TRANSFORMS Blessings says that before he was trained by CURE— before he saw Ethel in the marketplace—when he saw a person with a disability, he “saw a curse.”

CURE’s Head of Spiritual Ministry, Earnest Kioko, notes that even within the church—called to be salt and light to the world—this thinking is pervasive. That’s why CURE’s mission to help kids heal begins outside the hospital walls and in the villages where they live.

Your partnership allows us to send our ministry teams into communities to hold two- and three-day training sessions to equip pastors like Blessings through our Theology of Disability training. These leaders and their churches become strategic partners who help congregations love and care for the disabled community, undo the stigma associated with disability, and identify and refer children to CURE hospitals for treatment.

Blessings attended CURE Malawi’s first pastor training event in early 2022, along with 20 other pastors. The training was held in tandem with a mobile clinic where CURE’s team and the trained pastors were able to refer

“Through the training, I learned a lot. Today if I see a child with a disability, the first thing I think is, that’s God’s image.”

- Pastor Blessings

Ethel (center, pictured next to her sister, Gertrude) is one of 20 children that Pastor Blessings (left) has referred to CURE Malawi.

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Through CURE and Pastor Blessings, Ethel learned that "The joy of the Lord is my strength!” CURE provides patients with a Bible and other discipleship materials to help them grow in Christ.

246 children for surgery and share the gospel with 1,319 others. That day, 606 people put new faith in Christ!

Pastor Blessings shares, “Through the training, I learned a lot. Today if I see a child with a disability, the first thing I think is, that’s God’s image.” So far, Pastor Blessings has referred more than 20 children with disabilities to CURE.

MINISTRY THAT MULTIPLIES Since 2021, more than 2,100 pastors have attended CURE’s Theology of Disability trainings across our network.

It’s a ministry that multiplies as they, in turn, share what they are learning with others.

Maya Chirwa, who ministers to children at CURE Malawi, says, “Blessings has transformed many lives. He’s transformed himself first (through training). Then he is going to communities to transform others.”

When Pastor Blessings reached out to Ethel in the marketplace, she had given up hope of ever receiving corrective treatment for her clubfoot, going to school, or living out her God-given potential. All of that changed when Blessings connected her with CURE Malawi.

- Ethel

needs, as Ethel’s leg healed, CURE provided her opportunities to participate in Bible studies, worship with other patients, and talk with trained counselors.

Blessings, like all pastors who go through training, was encouraged to accompany Ethel to the hospital and be part of her ministry care.

Pastors are trained to carry on this care once children return to their communities, helping them connect to a local church for ongoing discipleship. In this way, CURE reaches the unreached, as less than 10 percent of people with disabilities have heard the gospel message.

As Ethel’s leg heals after successful surgery, she tells us: “My heart is ready to shout hallelujah, Jesus, King of Glory! The joy of the Lord is my strength. I see God in all that is happening . . . and I thank God for Pastor Blessings who introduced us to CURE.” Thank you for helping CURE equip and mobilize pastors who reach children like Ethel—bringing true healing into their lives.

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Watch a video of Blessings and Ethel at cure.org/blessings

25 YEARS of Spiritual Impact

1,600,000+

people reached with the gospel message

280,000+

decisions for Christ

2,100+

pastors and Christian leaders trained (since 2021)

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We know that many patients like Ethel come to CURE carrying heavy emotional burdens. To address these

“My heart is ready to shout hallelujah . . . and I thank God for Pastor Blessings who introduced us to CURE.”

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EVERY CHILD MATTERS

In Niger, three sisters find healing, freedom, and new life.

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Surgery Brings New Life to Three Sisters

Safaatou, Inaya, and Farida are sisters who share wide smiles, a love of sewing, and big dreams for their future. Safaatou, the oldest, wants to become a teacher. Her younger sisters want to become tailors.

But in their small Nigerien village, it was the genetic disease they shared that most defined them.

The sisters inherited osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, which causes bones to become soft and prone to frequent bends and breaks. Their condition kept them from their community, their school, and their dreams. They were viewed as cursed.

Their community told them they were cursed. At CURE, Safaatau, Farida, and Inaya (L to R) learned they were loved by God.

CHANGING THEIR STORY After their mother died and their father remarried, the girls were sent to live with their grandmother, Rabi.

She saw the isolation and pain they felt every day.

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“We were not able to walk or play like other children,” says Safaatou.

“We always stayed at home and didn’t want people to see our legs.

I would ask, ‘Why are my legs like this?’ And people would say, ‘Your legs are this way because a demon has spoiled you.’”

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EVERY CHILD MATTERS

After undergoing multiple surgeries and experiencing the love of God every day at CURE, the three sisters are now walking with Jesus.

“Sometimes I would hear Safaatou say she’d rather die than live a life like this,” she recalls.

Without access to proper medical care, the family sought help from a traditional healer. It left them with no money, no cure, and no hope for the girls.

They did not yet know that more than 120 miles away, a team at CURE Niger—in the capital of Niamey—had learned about the girls’ condition from a partner organization and was sending a mobile team out to meet them.

When CURE visited their village, Safaatou and her family got a glimpse of the hope and transformation that awaited them.

Grandma Rabi says, “The Christians at CURE are the only people who ever visited our home and have eaten with us.”

That day, everything began to change. Safaatou remembers, “When we heard about CURE, we were very excited to be healed.”

What awaited Safaatou and her sisters at CURE would end up being not just a physical change—but an eternal one too.

Farida couldn't walk before her life-changing surgeries.

Watch a video about their story at cure.org/3sisters

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EXPERIENCING NEW LIFE When Safaatou, Inaya, and Farida arrived at CURE, they were immediately scheduled for surgery. Over the coming year, they would undergo more than a dozen procedures to straighten their legs, spending months at a time recovering with other long-term patients at the hospital’s guest house.

Inaya (right) and Farida have never been to school.

At CURE, they are learning to read and write.

Dr. Shelley Oliver (left), orthopedic surgeon, and Judicaël Amoussou, OR nurse, perform surgery to strengthen Inaya's bones.

"It is unbelievable to see how the doctors did a great job in repairing my legs, and it’s more unbelievable to see how Jesus Christ has changed my life!"

- Inaya

During that time, CURE’s spiritual ministry team had many opportunities to tell the girls about God’s great love and the hope of the gospel. The sisters made a decision to follow Jesus and put their trust in Him. As excited as the girls were to have their mobility restored, they were thrilled at how Jesus was already transforming them.

“It is unbelievable to see how the doctors did a great job in repairing my legs, and it’s more unbelievable to see how Jesus Christ has changed my life!” says Inaya. “My legs are straight, and I know Jesus Christ; He is my Savior and friend.”

CURE provided the girls with Bibles, and Safaatou loves sharing what she is learning with the other children in the guest house. Many have come to faith through her. As for Safaatou and her sisters, a new life has begun.

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Thank you for the new life you bring to children like Safaatou, Inaya, and Farida.

As Farida, Inaya, and Safaatou (L to R) prepare to return home, Safaatou says, "We tell people [our healing] is because of the power of Jesus."

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“Every day is a new chance for me to give thanks to Jesus for my healing and the miracle He has worked in my life,” Safaatou says. “CURE changed the way we think and gave us hope. Our souls are free now, and we are healed!”

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ON THE FRONTLINES

Highlighting healthcare workers serving CURE patients around the world

“This is the place where I have been led, and this is the place where we can serve children and their families in need.” - Dr. Tim Nunn, Medical Director, CURE Ethiopia

Led toLead Before Dr. Tim Nunn became a leading orthopedic surgeon— he was a patient.

A serious ankle injury when he was young caused him to spend significant time in the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries.

“I was always interested in orthopedics, having personally seen what it entails,” he recalls.

His footsteps led him from orthopedic patient to orthopedic surgical resident. And, after surgical training in the UK, he practiced for two years in South Africa, with a focus on orthopedic trauma. From there, he could have

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worked almost anywhere in the world. But, he was drawn to CURE’s mission of providing surgical care to children and introducing families to Jesus.

“I visited CURE Kenya and Malawi, both inspirational visits,” he says. “It was clear that gospel proclamation in deed and word were important factors at CURE.” Through generous donor support, CURE Ethiopia hired Dr. Tim in 2014. Today, he serves as Medical Director.

“It is a privilege to serve in Ethiopia,” he says.

“There is a unique history and culture, and

nationals have been so welcoming and friendly that my family now see it as our home. This is the place where I have been led.”

Africa, trains more than 25 surgeons each year through residency and fellowship programs.

Dr. Tim says, “With approximately 5,000 children on the waitlist at CURE THE BEST Ethiopia, increasing Dr. Tim explains the use of a leg frame to Alazar, FOR THE who received surgery to straighten his foot. the country’s number LEAST of qualified medical professionals through training is one of the best Dr. Tim sees firsthand how lack of access to ways to provide more children the care they medical care leaves children with treatable desperately need.” disabilities overwhelmingly vulnerable to In 2022, Dr. Tim helped bring the country’s ridicule, poverty, and even abuse. It’s why he’s first pediatric spine program to CURE Ethiopia committed to providing free-to-patient medical to serve the approximately 50,000 children care of the highest quality with CURE. living with spinal conditions. He was recently “These children are the ‘least’ and ‘last’ in awarded the L’Chaim Prize (see page 5), the queue when it comes to access to care,” which will help CURE expand the program Dr. Tim says. and provide surgery to thousands more Ethiopian children.

As part of the orthopedic surgical team at CURE, Dr. Tim has brought life-changing “I am passionate about healing pediatric surgery to thousands of children like Kasib patients because their treatable disability (pictured at right), who was born with a robs them of an opportunity for a full and condition causing his legs to bend inward at productive life,” Dr. Tim says. “Working odd angles. Dr. Tim was one of the surgeons together, we can serve children and their God used to restore Kasib’s ability to walk, families in need.” return to school, and dream of a future.

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TRAINING TO MULTIPLY IMPACT

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In the countries where we serve, CURE is often the only surgical hospital equipped to treat the millions of children in need of care.

Across our network of eight hospitals, we are committed to training and multiplying local leaders to become the next generation of national surgeons and healthcare workers.

Dr. Tim helps lead these training initiatives for CURE in Ethiopia, where there are only 77 doctors for every 1 million people—and only one of those doctors is an orthopedic surgeon. (For comparison, there are 550 surgical specialists for every 1 million people in the United States.)

CURE Ethiopia, accredited by the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Kasib before surgery

Kasib after surgery

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a step of faith

CURE board member Marcia McIntyre brings hope to thousands of children and their families in West Africa.

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

MARCIA MCINTYRE NEVER THOUGHT AFRICA WOULD FEEL LIKE HOME. GOD HAD OTHER PLANS. Marcia McIntyre’s heart was in African soil long before she ever set foot there.

From her home in Colorado, she’d been supporting ministries spreading the gospel in some of the continent’s most challenging countries for years. But it was not part of her plan to ever go there herself.

“I told God I’d go anywhere in the world except Africa,” she recalls.

God, of course, had other plans. In January 2005, Marcia traveled to five African countries in 17 days. “I’ll go once, but don’t ask me again!” she declared and boarded her flight with just one carry-on bag.

Since that day, she’s been back to Africa 40 times.

MADALA, a nonprofit that supports the expansion of God’s kingdom in West Africa.

The word MADALA is derived from an expression people in Niger use in response to hearing good news. Marcia’s passion is to mobilize God’s people to embody the good news of Jesus to people across West Africa—one of the most under-resourced places on earth.

MULTIPLYING IMPACT WITH CURE It was at a dinner party that Marcia crossed paths with CURE’s founders, Dr. Scott and Mrs. Sally Harrison. Marcia remembers, “I talked about Niger—the poorest country in the world with practically no healthcare.

CATCHING GOD’S VISION When Marcia returned home from that first trip, she could not stop thinking about Niger—a Muslim-majority country in French-speaking West Africa where most people have never heard of Jesus. She saw firsthand why the country is ranked as one of the least developed by the United Nations.

“Niger was embedded in my heart,” she says.

“Even after I got home, I could close my eyes and see it. To my surprise, I had a yearning to go back.”

Most of Marcia’s trips back to Africa have been to Niger, and in 2008, she founded

The best way to experience CURE is in person, Marcia says. “To see a mom care for her child, to play a game with that child, and then to see a surgeon pray over that child—it’s priceless.”

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VISION PARTNERS

Marcia calls Dr. Diane Nahimana and other staff members “heroes” for their commitment to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in a challenging place.

children each year. Marcia is one of the strategic partners God is using to help kids heal in Niger."

The Harrisons listened . . . and eventually CURE said yes to building a hospital there.”

Three years after that dinner, the country’s first and only charitable pediatric hospital opened its doors. MADALA invested more than $3 million to make CURE Niger a reality and continues to contribute generously today. Marcia calls her investment in CURE “the greatest reward” and one she has “the most confidence in.”

Because MADALA also supports an orphanage, a school, and a daycare for children with special needs in Niger—they have been able to identify kids in need of surgeries and send them to CURE. Marcia is confident they will receive the highest standard of medical care and learn about the love of Jesus.

“CURE Niger is on track to perform 1,400 surgical procedures for children in need this year, more than ever before,” says Executive Director George Găvruș. “And we’re expanding our facilities to serve more

"God doesn’t need us for anything.

He has invited us into something He’s doing by giving us His resources, and then it’s our responsibility to give it away in a way that advances the kingdom.”

- Marcia McIntyre

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“CURE Niger is on track to perform 1,400 surgical procedures for children in need this year, more than ever before, and Marcia is one of the strategic partners God is using to help kids heal in Niger."

- George Găvruș Executive Director, CURE Niger

“There is no compromising that there is a dual ministry to proclaim the kingdom and heal the sick. It’s not easy in Niger where 98 percent are Muslim,” she says. “But it never takes a back seat. The gospel is being proclaimed every day in the hospital, healing children and introducing them to Jesus.”

ADVANCING THE KINGDOM TOGETHER Marcia goes back to Niger multiple times every year and even took up French so she can communicate meaningfully with the staff, patients, and families. For all that she’s invested in Niger, she is grateful for what she’s received and learned from God’s people there.

“I admire the resilience of the people—even in the little children,” she shares. “There was a little boy in the hospital playroom, and his legs were in casts so he couldn’t walk or move.

But he figured out he could ‘scooch’ across

Marcia encourages everyone to visit a CURE hospital.

“When you go, they welcome you like family.”

the floor—and he had a wonderful time. It’s that resilience that draws me.”

And while Marcia loves the children CURE serves, she calls the hospital staff her heroes.

“I get really attached to the employees,” she says. “It melts my heart to see the sacrifices they make to live and work in Niger—one of the least desirable places in the world. And you can tell they count it a privilege to serve.”

Marcia says she is grateful to God for allowing MADALA to be a channel of good news to many people. “God doesn’t need us for anything,” she says. “He has invited us into something He’s doing by giving us His resources, and then it’s our responsibility to give it away in a way that advances the kingdom.”

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Visit cure.org/journeys

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Take the adventure of a lifetime with CURE and see firsthand how your generosity changes lives in Africa.

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

STRENGTH in Numbers Expanding our medical team to expand our impact

BY JUSTIN NARDUCCI President/CEO Adding more surgeons allows CURE to serve more kids like Ethel in Malawi, pictured with Justin Narducci, CURE's President/CEO.

People often ask me how it’s possible to increase surgeries in our existing hospitals.

With your partnership, CURE has been able to increase the number of pediatric surgeries performed from 9,000 in 2020 to 16,000 in 2022, and we are on track to exceed that number in 2023.

Achieving this growth requires expanding patient wards, upgrading equipment, remodeling and building new operating rooms, and adding surgical staff. All of these are part of our three-year strategic plan, started in 2021, and we have made tremendous progress.

more surgeons

Our capital improvements are well underway, and we have hired additional staff. However, we are still in need of surgeons.

WILL ALLOW US TO OPERATE ON

Since 2022, we have added 10 surgeons to our team. We have calculated that we need to hire seven more to help us reach capacity in our current facilities. Adding these seven surgeons will allow us to operate on 3,500 additional patients across our network each year—as well as train even more national surgeons to carry on this work.

more patients annually

While I’m overjoyed that we’ve been able to increase the number of children we serve each year, the vast number of patients still waiting for surgery stays at the forefront of my mind.

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7 3,500

In the regions where CURE works, an estimated 9 million children with treatable disabilities need surgeries. We are committed to stewarding our resources to reach as many as we can, multiplying our impact by investing in surgeons and training healthcare workers, and sharing the gospel with the children and families we serve. Thank you for your partnership in this mission.

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help hire more doctors to serve more children countries where CURE hospitals are located countries from which patients travel for treatment

+2 +1

PHILIPPINES

plastic surgeon needed orthopedic surgeon needed

ETHIOPIA

orthopedic surgeon needed

MALAWI

+1

plastic surgeon needed

UGANDA

neurosurgeon needed

ZIMBABWE

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200,000

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Scan here to give online.

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Millions of children are waiting for surgeries in the countries where we serve. Will you help us hire more surgeons so that we can treat thousands more children every year?

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GOAL

GOSPEL PRESENTATIONS

BY YEAR

170,000

21,000 GOAL

16,000

12,000

9,000

LET’S HEAL MORE KIDS

133,000

orthopedic surgeon needed

orthopedic surgeon needed

SURGICAL PROCEDURES

BY YEAR

KENYA

+1

60,000

+1 +1

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US Postage PAID Nonprofit Org PERMIT # CURE Int'l

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

< FIRST AND LAST NAME ADDRESS LINE 1 ADDRESS LINE 2 CITY, ST ZIP >

HEAL THE SICK & PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD Luke 9:2 CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of eight pediatric hospitals in Africa and the Philippines, providing world-class surgical and intentional ministry care for children living with treatable disabilities.

(616) 512-3105 cure.org