Her legs were made for walking........

Gloria is a little girl who is now 3 years old. Her mother brought her to Amecet towards the end of 2008. The mother was very weak, she had AIDS. She could hardly carry her baby, who was around 9 months old at that time. The mother just started ARV's. We talked to her and offered to take Gloria, who was also HIV+ and sick, for a couple of months in Amecet, so the mother could use all her energy to get better herself. Our plan worked, the mother got stronger and after 4 months Gloria went back to her mother. We kept contact with them, but sadly the mother got suddenly very sick and passed away in September 2009. The auntie took Gloria and her three sibblings in her home. We kept contact and helped to pay schoolfees for the two older children. In August 2010 we took Gloria and her aunti to a hospital in Kumi for splints to strech the legs of Gloria. Her legs were crooked, she could not stand on her legs. We did some follow up, but because of all the sickness in Amecet in Oktober and November, I did not check on them. This week we went to see them and we saw that they do not use the splints, the legs are very stiff and if nothing would be done, Gloria will never be able to walk.

We discussed the situation with the auntie and we could understand that it was all a lot of work for her. We offered to take Gloria back in Amecet, just to work on the legs! She was very happy and agreed.

So today we drove out to Kumi (1 hour drive) and visited the othopaedic workshop again. It is a great place, what they can do there with such a simple methods and instruments.

They first made a moulding out of plaster from the legs of Gloria.

Simon is holding Gloria, while the man is making the moulding of the legs.

All the time Gloria holds thight the mouse she adopted as her friend!

In the corner of the room you could see a big pile of all kind of big and small legs and feet!!

After taking the moulding, they send us outside and we sat in the grass and went for a soda, after a couple of hours we had to come back and they fitted the splints!

Still the mouse is hold tight!

And Gloria could stand straight!! (with ofcourse the mouse in the hand!)

Next week we have to come back to pick the wooden walker which they are going to make on Gloria's size.

It will not be easy, it will hurt Gloria, she will cry, but it is all worth doing when it will make her possible to walk!!!

So........ we go for it!!!