From Bowed Legs to Boundless Dreams

Before surgery surgery at CURE Kenya, Beldine’s right leg bent outward at the knee.

When Beldine was a little girl, she would see news reporters on TV and picture herself delivering the latest breaking news to thousands of viewers. It looked like an exciting career she couldn’t wait to pursue. But that dream seemed unachievable because of her bowed legs, which curved out at the knees.

According to her mother, Irene, she was not born with this condition. Beldine played normally with her siblings and assisted at home with chores. But at some point, Irene noticed that her daughter’s legs had started bowing. At first, she did not do anything about it because Beldine wasn’t in any pain.

A Wake-Up Call

But as Beldine grew older, she struggled with her self-image and how her peers looked at her. She also grew more and more concerned about how her disability would affect her future.

After successful surgery, Beldine nears the the end of her journey to walking normally: getting the final pins removed at a mobile clinic.

Then when Beldine’s legs worsened, her parents decided it was time for a doctor to evaluate their daughter. They took her to a hospital, and doctors began the correction process through casting. Nothing was improving, so they decided Beldine needed surgery. Her dad wanted both her legs corrected at the same time, but the doctors advised against it. So they operated only on her left leg, and her right leg remained bowed.

This left the family feeling hopeless about their daughter’s treatment. A few years later, someone told Baba Beldine about CURE Kenya. “We were very happy to hear about CURE, and so we tried our best to make it to the mobile clinic location despite the distance,” Irene told us. Soon after the family arrived, the skilled surgeons at CURE successfully corrected her right leg, putting Beldine much closer to achieving her goals.

After surgery at CURE Kenya, Beldine stands tall on her straight leg.