We were recently contacted by a friend, Thembo Moses, who is a medical student in Uganda about a young, disabled girl named Pala. For less than $100 we were able to change this girl’s life along with her grandmother who had been carrying this sweet girl around since her mother passed away in 2013.  See the reports and photos below written from Moses to read Pala’s Story of Hope.

Background for Nankunda Pala

Pala is a daughter of late Musiimenta Phoena who died in 2013 due to HIV/AIDS. She is 9 years old and now staying with a grandmother who is 54 years in Kibingo village, Muhito parish and Kitagata sub county Shema district in Western Uganda. She was born disabled and her disability is that she can neither walk nor speak. A person can only carry her and put her in a seat. Unless you remove her from the seat she is unable to get out. In case it rains and no one is there, you can only find when rain has beaten her seriously.

Nankunda was very excited when she saw me snapping her photo.

We were making a community outreach as medical students of Kampala International University performing a health and nutrition education from household per household, I came across this young orphan disabled girl with her grandmother. I was touched when I saw her and when I asked more about her. The grandmother is trying her level best to keep her life sustained.

As earlier on said Pala Nankunda is a young disabled orphan who is unable to support herself to sit in upright position. For her to sit in an upright position someone needs to support her always, her digits of the fore fingers are not in proper anatomical position and hence not functioning properly. And other mild abnormalities which can be corrected by physiotherapist.

Pala resting on floor upon arriving Kasese town. Photo showing a disability in her digits of the hands.

Yesterday, 14/08/2017 was a very nice and joyful day for Pala, grandmother and as well as me after seeing a wheelchair being fixed for Pala. It was a moment that created a positive psychological change in Pala, mind and the grandmother starting seeing future for her which she had lost.

Engineer in a green shirt and myself started fixing the chair.

Fixing Pala on a wheelchair for easy fitting.

Pala and grandmother excited and happy while I sit beside them.

Hope for Pala.

The physiotherapist said “Pala can possibly walk if attended to by a physiotherapist since she is still young because her muscles are still flexible though they are stiff especially of the lower limbs”.

Rachael is a 28 year old single mom of two young boys. She lives in a very remote area near the Congo border where the only access she has had to medical care was a witch doctor. Witchcraft is common in many areas. She developed a boil on her leg about one year ago. It became infected and the witch doctor told her if she treated her leg, it would move to the other leg.

Her family had no money and felt there was nothing that could be done. Six months ago, because of the progression of the infection, she became completely bedridden laying only on her left side. A pastor we know that lives in the same area found out about her and asked us for help. It was $15USD to get her transported a couple of hours to the hospital by ambulance.

Our first morning we were asked to come see her. I have never seen nor smelled anything so horrific. She was in a lot of pain and had never had access to any kind of pain medication. I could not believe that she was alive. Her body had worked so hard to keep the infection from becoming systemic, it was a true miracle.

There is only one surgeon for the large hospital that we brought her to so her surgery for amputation was scheduled for two days later. It was completely shocking to find out that they performed the surgery with only local anesthesia. General is used only in extreme life threatening situations and when they have the staff and resources to administer it.

I am not sure our paths will ever cross again but I’m certain her story will touch many. If anything, it gives some perspective to our own lives. I’ve been fortunate to spend over two months this past year in Uganda and it has changed every little thing about my life. So, so, so grateful; I will never take anything for granted. We are blessed to live where we do!

April 17, 2017 – From a Ugandan friend. On Sabbath I visited Racheal and her relatives just as we had arranged. She is generally doing well and very proud of her life this time. I thought my biggest challenge would be language barrier but I realized both of us knew some Rutoro which acted as our medium of exchange. Where we could not understand each other Pr Eliphaz was there to interpret for us. I decided to go with a student who was familiar with the area and we set off early morning to attend church service at Sara-Kiyombya SDA a newly established church deep in the Bamba community like 5-7 Kms off Bundibugyo-Fortportal road Branching at Bubukwanga prison. This is where we would meet the pastor.

After service, we were invited for lunch at Mr Africa’s home a newly converted member f the church whom we had interacted with in my office 3days before when she came to pay fees for his daughter at school, thereafter came back to the main road at Bubukwanga T/C. The pastor advised that we left our motorcycle packed here and hire another boda-boda claiming the place where we were heading to be steepy and that the roads were not good since we were not experienced with riding.

We hired a two motorcycle from here to Bunyaruta, Tokwe subcounty, Racheal’s home village. We branched to the left side immediately before Bundibugyo town. It is around 23 Km’s from Ntandi to bundibugyo town and around 4-5Kms to this place. She had just taken lunch and was relaxing outside in the shade. She was very happy to receive us. Through interactions with her, she told me that she has two kids one in nursery at Super Primary school in Bundibugyo town.

Marriam is a 17 year old crippled orphan from Uganda who has resided in our orphanage home since she was 5. In 2012, she stole our hearts when we saw her condition and watched firsthand as she struggled living her life unable to walk. She comes from a remote, zero income village close to the Congo border where daily life is a matter of surviving. We have made it our priority to ensure that this girl gets the help she needs to free her from chronic pain and possibly the chance to walk. After two years of denials, appeals and lots and lots of paperwork, she stepped foot on American soil on June 2nd, 2015.

With the help of Epikos Church in Vancouver, WA, Portland Adventist Medical Center and many amazing people, she is in this amazing journey we hope will inspire people everywhere. Thank you for following her journey and please keep her in your prayers, God is doing amazing things!  If you would like to read more, there is a facebook page dedicated to her journey called Marriam’s Journey.

You can follow it here.