For 14 years, Ethel lived with untreated clubfoot in both feet. She walked on her ankles, struggled with pain every day, and missed out on many of the things other children took for granted. Today, she walks without pain.
Ethel’s journey to CURE Malawi began when Rev. Maganga, a graduate of CURE Malawi’s Theology of Disability (TOD) training, met her.
As a young child, Ethel’s parents began treatment at a local hospital. However, the cost of repeated trips for follow-up care became too much for the family, and they were forced to stop. Without further treatment, Ethel grew up with the condition.
A Chance Meeting
In 2022, Rev. Maganga attended CURE Malawi’s Theology of Disability training in Thyolo District. The programme equips church leaders to help their congregations care for people with disabilities, challenge harmful attitudes toward disability, and identify and refer children with treatable conditions to CURE Malawi. In this way, churches become partners in helping families access treatment while demonstrating Christ’s love to people living with disabilities.
After completing the training, Rev. Maganga began visiting people with disabilities in the communities around his church. It was through this work that he met Ethel at a local market.
When he told Ethel’s family that CURE Malawi could help, they were hesitant. Other organisations had made similar promises before, but none had followed through.
Rev. Maganga says it took several conversations before they agreed to seek treatment. “When I first met Ethel’s parents, it was clear they had lost hope. So many organisations had promised to help them before, but nothing ever happened. I spent time with the family, sharing testimonies of children who had been treated at CURE Malawi,” he explained.
He says that although the family eventually agreed to bring Ethel for treatment, they remained anxious about what lay ahead. “They were still anxious about what would happen during treatment, so I contacted CURE Malawi’s Bedside Ministry Coordinator Maya Chirwa to help. We then visited the family at their home together, answered their questions, and assured them that Beit CURE was genuine. That gave them the confidence to bring Ethel for treatment,” he narrated.
A Journey of Healing
By the time Ethel arrived at CURE Malawi in 2022, she had spent 14 years living with untreated clubfoot. “Before surgery, my life was very difficult,” Ethel says. “I could not be as happy as my friends. People made fun of me, and I could not play like the other children. I thought I would always live that way.”
Walking was painful, and she often missed school, falling behind in her studies.
Over time, the physical challenges began to shape how Ethel saw herself. She came to believe that people with disabilities were different in God’s eyes.
When Ethel eventually arrived at CURE Malawi, Maya realised her struggle was not only physical. “She believed that people with disabilities were not created in God’s image,” Maya says. “She thought there was another god for them.”
Maya spent time helping Ethel understand what the Bible teaches about her worth. “I taught her that God created her in His image and has a purpose for her life despite her physical condition. I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her and reminded her that Jesus died for everyone.”
Even after arriving at CURE Malawi, Ethel was still unsure what lay ahead. “On my way to Beit CURE, I still didn’t know what would happen,” she says. “Part of me thought they would only treat the wounds on my legs and not my disability. But on the day of my surgery, I started to believe it would work. I had seen photos at the hospital of other children who had been treated, and their legs were now straight.”
Over the next 10 months, Ethel underwent three surgeries followed by months of physiotherapy to correct her feet. She completed her treatment in September 2024.
A New Outlook
“It has been such a long journey for me,” Ethel says. “For most of my life, clubfoot was all I ever knew, and I didn’t think there was any other life for me. The pain and the harsh treatment from those around me were my only reality. I couldn’t be as happy as the other kids or do the things they could do. But now, I’ve witnessed God’s miracle—He has truly blessed my life.”
She adds, “Today, I can walk and go to school without struggle. I’ve even made so many new friends, and I thank God for that. I’m also deeply grateful to the doctors, nurses, and sponsors who have walked with me on this journey.”
Today, Ethel walks to school without pain, spends time with friends, and looks ahead with hope. For the first time in her life, she no longer sees clubfoot as the story that defines her.
Help Another Child Find Healing
Ethel’s story is one of many. Across Malawi, children are still living with treatable disabilities because they cannot access the surgical care they need. Your gift can help provide life-changing surgery, rehabilitation, and compassionate care to a child in need.
Make a donation today and help give another child the chance to walk, play, learn, and look forward to a brighter future: https://malawi.cure.org/donate/.
