Milton has grown so comfortable in his prosthetic legs.
Milton was amongst the first 1,500 patients admitted to CURE International in Kijabe. His stints in the hospital began when he was hardly one month old and, at the time, the doctors listed his condition as “multiple deformities,” which ranged from abnormalities to his hips and a missing tibia bone. He had so many surgeries that he became a familiar face at CURE. The medical and ministry teams were there for every step of this long and difficult journey, to which Milton comments, “CURE to me has been like family.”
Milton before surgery
Apart from clubfoot, Milton also had a limb condition where both his femurs were not fully developed. While he was receiving treatment for clubfoot, CURE conducted a mobile clinic near him, and he came for a follow-up. Dr. Bransford, who had been taking care of Milton for a while, wanted to talk to him about the next steps of treatment. The news he was bearing would change Milton’s life forever!
“The doctor came to me and told me I’m growing. So as I’m growing, my legs are getting weak. My upper body is getting stronger. So, it’ll reach a point where my legs won’t carry me anymore.” Milton told us.
The doctor suggested amputation as the only solution. “The first time I heard that, I couldn’t agree to that because to me, I was strong. I could do everything. I could walk, I could run, and actually that was, I guess, the best days of my childhood,” Milton said. “As I was growing, my legs couldn’t carry my body anymore. I was getting weak. I couldn’t run as fast as I could before.”
It took Milton almost two years to decide whether he would go through with the amputation. “I made that decision the last day I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam . . . I told my mom, yeah, I guess it’s time now. It’s time to change my life. It’s time I agreed to what the doctor says and try what they’re saying,” Milton shared. This was the turning point for Milton.
When Milton came to CURE for his surgery, he still had doubts about having both legs amputated. In addition to providing excellent surgical care, CURE’s team is trained to provide compassionate spiritual care as well. It made all the difference for Milton. He said, “I met Phoebe before the surgery and she told me everything was okay . . . Phoebe preached to me, and we prayed together.” With Phoebe’s encouragement, Milton had the courage to proceed with the surgery.
After Milton’s bilateral amputation, he had to allow his legs to properly heal before he could be fitted for prosthetics. CURE provided him with a wheelchair, which allowed him to maintain his mobility and more of his independence. Each year, CURE provides, on average, 2,500 assistive devices like wheelchairs, crutches, and braces that help patients navigate the world around them.
Milton doing stunts in his wheelchair.
Milton started high school, where many of his friends were surprised to see him in a wheelchair. Despite the shock, Milton’s friends accepted him as he was. Milton got pretty good at moving around in his wheelchair. He recalls, “I was the fastest wheelchair racer in all the schools. And I got better as I went through the grades.” Within a few months, Milton received his prosthetic legs and began learning how to walk with them at CURE.
Milton learning how to use prosthetic legs for the first time.
He continued to draw a lot of attention because of his skills with his wheelchair. “Some of the teachers told me, ‘You have potential. One day we hope to see you in the Paralympic games in Kenya!’” Milton told us. After high school, Milton got an opportunity to interact with professional sportsmen, and they encouraged him to push forward with his dreams of joining the Paralympic team. Milton has since participated in several sports including wheelchair racing, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, wheelchair tennis, badminton, and swimming.
Wheelchair basketball is where Milton has had the most success. He says, “Actually, basketball is my favorite game. It has taken me to places. I’ve been to South Africa two times. We went to South Africa for the Commonwealth qualifiers!”
Milton outside the orthopedic workshop at CURE.
Milton remembers his time and the friendships he has formed at CURE and is very grateful that we crossed paths all those years ago. “I’m grateful to CURE for supporting me, my sports, my life, everything they have given to me. And I guess I would say CURE has made me the man I am today!”
All medical and ministry care is provided at no cost to children and their families, made possible by the generous support of CURE partners and donors.
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About AIC-CURE Children’s Hospital of Kenya
CURE Kenya has been a place of hope since opening its doors in 1998. We were Africa’s first orthopedic teaching hospital when it opened in Kijabe. More than just providing life-changing surgeries, CURE cares for the emotional and spiritual needs of all our patients. Our teaching hospital has 47 beds, four operating rooms, and an outpatient clinic.
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CURE Kenya’s mission is to provide every child living with a disability the physical, emotional, and spiritual care they need to heal. If you have questions about becoming a patient or a partner with CURE, please contact us.
