In a relatively unknown rural district of Mutawatawa, nestled within Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, Patience found herself grappling with emotions she had never experienced before. She was still coming to terms with her child’s condition, her mind clouded with uncertainty and unanswered questions. Fear and hesitation weighed heavily on her heart. She wasn’t sure where to turn for help, nor did she know if seeking assistance would change anything. The unknown felt overwhelming, and so, for a time, she kept her worries to herself.
Patience vividly recalls the moment she first laid eyes on Blessings, her newborn daughter’s name. The memory is still fresh and etched in her mind.
“My husband was the first to notice the condition on her hand. He was with me when I delivered Blessings,
“I was honestly shocked,” she confesses, her voice quivering. “I didn’t know where to turn for help, so I didn’t seek assistance immediately.”
Blessings was born with only one finger on her left hand, and the place where fingers were supposed to be was replaced with tiny digits.
As she pondered these things, Patience noticed that her daughter exhibited unique traits that piqued her interest.
“At two weeks, she could recognise my face, follow it past midline, and smile. She would cry if I tried to leave her. For most babies, this would happen at six weeks and above. Her developmental milestones were and are ahead of her age. That made me feel that she could go far in life, but (I was afraid) her disability would limit her.”
This prompted Patience to seek the best possible solutions to improve Blessings’ function and maximise her potential.
Due to her hand, Blessings struggled with day-to-day tasks and chores. She could not pick up and hold things, do laundry, or help around the house. Without the help of her mother, she could do very little. Although this has not deterred her from dreaming of becoming a doctor. But even with this dream, she feared her hand would prevent her from performing surgeries.
Patience’s search for information about Blessing’s condition eventually led her to some doctors in India.
“My closest family members were very supportive, especially when I was at school. When we were anticipating taking her to India, my sisters offered to travel with her.”
The plans for the India surgery were going according to plan until, in 2019, COVID-19 struck, imposing travel restrictions.
To make matters worse, Patience realised the travel to India would cost much more than they had been able to save.
“My hope was completely shattered. The Indian hospital later reached out in 2022, after the lockdown, requesting Blessings’ medical reports, but I had none.”
Even though Patience knew she could not fly Blessings to India, she went ahead with getting the requested tests done. And it was at one of these exams that Patience was told about CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe! Not only was this extremely specialised surgery possibly here in Zimbabwe, but it was also fully sponsored by generous donors from all over the world, so Patience and Blessings would not have to pay anything!
Blessings received one of the most complex plastic surgeries, a toe-to-finger transplant, which was a first of its kind at CURE International. Thankfully, the surgeons at CURE Zimbabwe received support from specialised hand surgeons from the U.S., who had been specifically invited to perform hand surgeries that week.
“The first surgery was 13 hours and 14 minutes, and we then had to do a second eight-hour surgery to address a lack of blood flow,” said Dr Andrew Hodges, CURE’s Lead Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon.
After the surgery, recovery, and physiotherapy, Blessings can now tie her shoes, dress herself, write, and even pick up items as small as a grain of rice all by herself!
Blessings is currently attending school and still has the dream of becoming a doctor in the future.
“A while back, she would say that she wanted to be a Doctor, but I would see that she questioned herself as to how it would be possible with one functional hand. Now she says it confidently, especially after seeing Dr Thatha,” Patience reports.
Dr Thatha is a dedicated paediatrician at CURE Zimbabwe who is living with a congenital deformity affecting his left hand, leaving him with only a functional thumb. Despite this physical challenge, he has never allowed it to hinder his passion for medicine or his ability to provide exceptional care to children in need.
“The most important thing that she has is her mind. It’s very possible for her to become a doctor, plus the field of medicine is very wide. For example, your most important asset as a dermatologist is what you see. If the other hand is functional, there are many things that she can do, including operative specialities,” Dr Thatha notes before continuing. “What I have noted from my journey is that the biggest challenge is self-doubt. That is one hurdle that she will have to win. Facing questions like ‘What will people think? Will I be able to do it?” and without trying, she will never know. The most important battle that she or anyone will have to win in life is the battle within oneself.”
Thanks to the generosity of donors and the groundbreaking work of CURE Children’s Hospital, Blessing’s future is brighter than ever. The surgery has improved her daily life and given her the confidence to pursue her dreams. “Once Blessing’s hand is healed, she’ll gain more independence and confidence, and nothing will stand in the way of her dream to become a doctor,” Patience said with a smile. With the success of this first toe-to-fingure transplant at CURE Zimbabwe, the hope is that more children with similar challenges will receive life-changing treatment in the future.
This life-changing surgery would not have happened if it were not for our generous sponsors. This continued support will enable the hospital to continue changing lives and helping more kids like Blessings to do more. If you’d like to make an impact in a child’s life, you can click here 👉🏽 https://cure.org/donate/
About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe
Established in April 2021, CURE Zimbabwe is the first and only hospital in the country of 14 million people to provide orthopedic care for disabilities such as clubfoot, bowed legs, and knock knees to children regardless of their economic status. The teaching hospital has 18 beds, three operating theaters, and an outpatient clinic. The hospital was refurbished by the Zimbabwe Orthopedic Trust in partnership with the Zimbabwean government and is located adjacent to United Bulawayo Hospital in Bulawayo.
