Enjoy these stories of remarkable children overcoming the odds.
5 Apr, 2020
Do miracles happen today? Meet the incredible children who prove they do. Enjoy these stories of remarkable children overcoming the odds, thanks to their child sponsorship through Compassion.
Fabrice hadnât spoken a word since birth. When he first joined the Compassion programme in Togo, it was clear that he understood when someone spoke to him. But his lack of speech made it hard for him to make friends.
During his first medical check-up at the programme, Fabrice was diagnosed with a tongue tie. After a simple operation, Fabrice would be able to speak for the first time.
The project staff rushed to tell his father, Kpatcha, who was astonished. Together they took Fabrice to the local hospital and for less than ÂŁ8, his tongue was fixed.
Today, Fabrice can speak normally and has lots of friends to play with. His father Kpatcha says,
My daily prayer is that God should bless those who are supporting our children because they are saving many lives. Today, thanks to them, I can talk with my son.
Four-year-old Franklin used to crouch in a corner at lunchtime, too shy to join his peers at the table. When he arrived at the Compassion project in Neyba, Dominican Republic, he was skinny, malnourished and had asthma. Heâd been in and out of hospital since birth for his heart murmur, missing the chance to develop vital social skills.
His tutor, Quisqueya, took him to the centreâs psychologist. âWhat that boy needs is someone to speak softly and with tenderness to him,â the psychologist said. âWhat that boy needs is someone who gives him love.â
As Quisqueya paid him more attention, Franklin lost his shyness. He initiated sitting at the table with the rest of the children for lunch and also playing, talking and making friends.
At the same time, Franklinâs health began to improve. He started to gain weight and stopped getting sick. Now Franklin is a healthy, active and playful seven-year-old, who wants to be a teacher when he grows up.
Child sponsorship gives children like Franklin a hope and a future. Discover the difference you can make when you sponsor a child and empower them to overcome poverty.Â
Rihanata, from Burkina Faso, loved running and playing outside with her cousins. Her grandmother would set up a small iron furnace to cook in front of the house, as there was no kitchen indoors.
One day, Rihanata tripped. She fell on the furnace, spilling scalding sauce all over her skin.
âIt was so very painful I can hardly describe how I felt,â she says. âI found myself in hospital with bandages around my chest, arms, legs and face that had been burned by that hot sauce.â
Rihanata was taken to hospital in the capital, Ouagadougou, but her family couldnât afford to pay for her care. Thankfully, Compassion were able to help cover the cost and provide the family with practical and emotional support.
Nematou, Rihanataâs mother, says, âCompassion saved the life of my Rihanata following this accident.â
Throughout her 15-month stay in hospital, Rihanata amazed doctors with her faith and fast recovery. She says, âI believe it was God who healed me. Now I feel good without pain. Everything is back to normal, even if I do keep the scars on my body.â
Nematou believes her daughterâs healing is an amazing miracle.
When 10-year-old Yesica experienced violent convulsions and trouble swallowing, doctors accused her of faking it. It wasnât until she fell unconscious that her condition was taken seriously.
While she was in intensive care, doctors told Yesicaâs mother, Telma, that they never expected her daughter to wake up.
âI would tell them âGod is the one who has the last word, and Yesica is going to wake up, she is going to come back to us,â says Telma.
She was right. Telmaâs prayers for her daughter were answered when Yesica woke up from the coma, but the journey was not yet over. Yesica needed physical therapy and months of rehabilitation as she learnt to walk again. Her costs were covered through Compassionâs Health Response Fund.
âGod gave me my life back,â says Yesica, who is now back at school after recovering her strength. âI want to preach my testimony. The fact that I didnât give up while I was in hospital is because of my sponsorâs constant prayers.â
When Christine Joy was a baby, her family werenât sure if sheâd make it. Every three months, terrifying seizures would overpower her. Sheâd stop breathing, her face would grow dark â even her fingernails turned black. As each month passed, her seizures got worse.
Now that sheâs been introduced to Compassion and found a child sponsor, Christine has regular medical checks that keep her seizures under control. The cost of her medication has been reimbursed.
Though her seizures frighten her family, Christine keeps smiling and making jokes. When she sees the nurse, she says, âWhen I get grown, prepare yourself. Iâll become a doctor and Iâll be injecting you!â
WORDS : Compassion UK
PHOTOS : Compassion International