"Volunteer nurse Melinda Kaney joyfully exclaimed, “The
eight-plate surgery to straighten Fooday’s legs worked wonderfully!” Aladji,
Fooday’s father, was so grateful that his eldest son’s journey to healing was
complete. Fooday would now return to school and perhaps, one day, be a teacher
– something his mother Yakha dreamed about for her son.
Fooday’s start in life was tenuous, Aladji recalls. “Fooday
was born prematurely. He was so tiny and weak, we didn’t think he would live.
All of our family and the neighbors prayed for Fooday to pull through. By the
grace of God, he did.”
When Fooday began walking at eighteen months, his parents
noticed that his legs were bowed. The family’s meager income wasn’t enough to
pay for the herbal poultices offered by the traditional healer. In desperation,
Aladji resorted to beggging to raise money for Fooday’s sessions. Sadly, the
traditional medicine did not help – the abnormal curve in Fooday’s legs
worsened.
Yakha explains how much they worried for their son. “Fooday
had pain that kept him crying all night. But worse was the shame and hurt that
I knew Fooday would go through with bent legs.” Yakha’s fears were
well-founded. When Fooday started school at age five, other children
continually laughed at him. After a few steps Fooday’s unsteady gait would
falter, and he would fall. With each tumble Fooday faced another barrage of
insults. Aladji and Yakha were heartbroken. The only safe place for Fooday was
at home. He could no longer go to school.
Praying continually, Yakha and Aladji asked God for a
miracle of healing for Fooday. Aladji clearly recalls the morning that their
prayers were answered. “There was an announcement on the radio that a hospital
ship was coming to provide free medical care. I heard that the hospital did
surgeries for children with bent legs. Yakha and I were overjoyed.”
Within three weeks Fooday was onboard the Africa Mercy
hospital ship for his free surgery. A small metal plate, in the shape of a
figure eight, was attached to the outside of each of his leg bones. The
eight-plate, designed to slowly correct the bow in Fooday’s legs, would also
allow the bones to grow straight in the future. When successful, this technique
avoids a much larger operation that requires the bones to be broken and reset.
Now, only one step remained until everyone could breathe a
complete sigh of relief. After doing their straightening job, the eight-plates
would need to be removed. Otherwise, the legs would bow out the other way! So,
over the next eighteen months, while back at home, Fooday’s legs gradually
straightened. His eventual return to school was a cause for amazement as his
schoolmates could already see a dramatic change in his legs.
At the eighteen-month point, Aladji and Fooday eagerly
travelled to the Africa Mercy hospital, now docked in Conakry, Guinea, for his
final surgery.
Fooday’s reunion with nurse Melinda was filled with
excitement, hugs and giggles. “Melinda took such good care of me when I had my
first surgery, and I always hoped I would see her again. Now, here she is
giving me the best hug of my life!” he declared.
As it turned out, Fooday’s eight-plate removal was not the
only step in store for the family. To Aladji’s surprise, Mercy Ships had a
greatly appreciated treatment in store for him too. For years Aladji had
focused entirely on Fooday’s healing, while ignoring the pain of his own four
decayed teeth and infected gums. At the same time that Fooday was in the Africa
Mercy hospital, Aladji had an appointment at the Mercy Ships Dental Clinic. Aladji,
with the tormenting dental pain completely gone, shared a warm smile with
Fooday back at the ship. Aladji whispered in his son’s ear, “Fooday, thanks to
Mercy Ships, it is happy teeth for me and back to school for you!! God is
good!”
Written by Joanne Thibault
Edited by Nancy Predain
