14-year-old Samuel was born with clubfoot. When his parents first saw their newborn, they were shocked to see his little foot curled in. Esther hoped his foot would straighten over time. “I thought it would normalize. I would use a warm cloth to try to put into right position.”

Esther kept her newborn wrapped tightly in a blanket to hide his clubfoot. One day the blanket loosened, and a neighbour noticed Samuel’s foot. She encouraged Esther to take Samuel to the hospital for treatment.

For those of us in Canada, taking a child to the doctor when they’re hurt or sick is a given. But for families in rural sub-Saharan Africa, giving up hard-earned income – income that is barely enough to feed the family – for one child’s transportation and medical care is a huge sacrifice.

Samuel’s family decided the sacrifice was worth it. 

They tried 3 times to get their boy treatment. They saved and spent and biked and fought and hoped. But each time, they ran into an insurmountable barrier. Every attempt used up precious, carefully saved money.  

They couldn’t afford special shoes. 

The government hospital demanded a special doctor fee. 

They ran out of transportation money.  

Every attempt was a dead end. 

This was Esther’s breaking point.  

I remember the look of pain and defeat on Esther’s face as she told me, “I decided to give up.”

Her words broke my heart. This mom – the one who courageously chose hope time and time again – the anchor of hope for her family – had run out of options. She’d run out of hope.

As I sat with Samuel to ask him about his story, he gave me short, quiet glimpses into his years of pain. He looked down at the dirt and wiped away tears. At 14 years old, this boy has learned to live with the ache of disappointment. He had lost hope that his foot would ever be healed.