Mekdelawit’s Healing Story

 

 

For eleven-year-old Mekdelawit, the dream was simple yet profound: “All I want is to be like the other kids. I hate looking different… I can’t wait for the surgery to correct my back, so that I can stand tall again.”

Mekdelawit was living with severe scoliosis, an extreme curvature of the spine that, if left untreated, can lead to life-limiting breathing and health complications. Her mother, Alem, had spent years desperately seeking help after an initial misdiagnosis of a vitamin D deficiency failed to stop the growing hump on her daughter’s back. Hospital after hospital offered no answers, leaving Alem on the verge of losing hope. The turning point finally came when they received a life-changing call from CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia.

The Process of Spine Treatment at CURE Ethiopia

At CURE Ethiopia, correcting complex spinal conditions requires a multi-stage medical journey carried out with remarkable precision. For Mekdelawit, this began with a halo distractor surgery, where doctors attached a lightweight metal ring (a halo) to her skull using small pins. Over the next several months, as tension on the halo was gradually increased, her spine stretched and became straighter. In turn, she also put on weight, and her breathing tests showed improvement.

 

Once her spine was sufficiently stretched, Mekdelawit entered the operating room for a major, five-hour posterior spinal fusion surgery. A dedicated surgical team, including CURE Medical Director Dr. Timothy Nunn, visiting surgeon Professor. Wai Yoon from Queens Medical Center in Nottingham, UK, CURE orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Bolongaro, and the expert CURE anesthesia team, including Dr. Tihut Teshome, assisted by spinal cord monitoring technicians Mekdes LEMA and Yemisrach Melaku and surgical nurses, removed her halo, straightened her spine, and stabilized it using permanent rods and screws. Through every step of traction and complex surgery, CURE’s spine care team guided Mekdelawit toward physical transformation.

Wholesome Care in the Ward

Surgery, however, is only one part of the healing process at CURE Ethiopia. The hospital follows a holistic care model, nurturing the emotional and mental well-being of young patients alongside their physical recovery.

During her extended stay in the RJF Long-term ward, Mekdelawit was immersed in an environment full of warmth, play, and community. Whether she was practicing dance routines for Easter celebrations, playing card games, or laughing over a cardboard version of the “Operation” game, her days were filled with vibrant life. This holistic approach helped her look beyond the metal fixators she carried, restoring her confidence and allowing her to embrace her childhood as her body healed.

 

Nurturing the Spiritual Side

Spiritual care is deeply woven into daily life at CURE Ethiopia, providing comfort to patients and their families as they walk through difficult medical journeys. Child mentors like Temesgen host interactive Bible reading sessions, creating a safe, open space for curiosity and spiritual reflection.

During these mentorship moments, children are encouraged to ask genuine questions about faith and God’s character. Moments like these are conducted with permission, sensitivity, and respect. They allowed Mekdelawit and her mother to explore their faith deeply, finding spiritual strength and reassurance when they needed it most.

A Promise Kept: The Friendship of Mekdelawit and Abel

 

Among the sweetest fruits of CURE’s compassionate community are the lasting friendships built between young patients. While undergoing two months of halo traction treatment together for their spinal conditions, Mekdelawit and her close friend Abel made each other a simple promise: once they recovered, they would sit on the grass together at the playground by the RJF Long-term ward.

They finally fulfilled that plan when Mekdelawit returned to CURE for her routine follow-up. She and Abel coordinated their schedules to meet up, but they didn’t just sit on the grass; they took a celebratory lap around the entire hospital together, spreading smiles and saying hello to everyone they passed.

Today, with her surgical wounds fully healed, her pain gone, and plans to start school next year, Mekdelawit is running, playing, and standing tall, a living testament to faith, friendship, and holistic healing.

 

Mekdelawit’s journey from a severe curvature to standing tall, running, and laughing with friends highlights the transformative, comprehensive care offered at CURE Ethiopia. Thanks to dedicated ministry partners like the Tim Tebow Foundation, which has supported the work of our  Tebow Spine Center at CURE, this life-transforming scoliosis treatment is provided at no cost to families in need.

In the run-up to Thanksgiving, why not consider supporting a patient like Mekdelawit?

She understands that what she received was a gift of grace from the Lord. Help CURE Ethiopia transform the lives of many more children like Mekdelawit by donating to ensure this life-transforming care is available to them.