Sadiku, the boy who ran again

By An SIM community doctor in Kenya | Kenya in East Africa

Sadiku running. 

In an outreach clinic on the outskirts of Kapsowar, Kenya, an SIM mission doctor met a young man whose life had been painfully altered by a tragic accident. The boy, Sadiku, was downcast, his once bright school uniform looking worse for wear. He had come to the clinic with his teacher, carrying more than just the weight of his injury.

“How I can I help?” the doctor asked.

Sadiku looked down and pulled up his trouser leg revealing a knee contracture. He had suffered a burn from a trash fire. The subsequent damage to his leg left his knee in a painful, bent position for the last year. 

The initial care he received wasn’t adequate. His wounds healed but not without massive amounts of scar tissue which slowly bent and contracted his knee. Every time he tried to extend his knee, his scar cracked, causing a painful wound. The contraction meant he walked with a severe limp.

Sadiku's contracted knee.

Sadiku’s family did not have insurance nor the means to pay for surgery. The patients at the Kapsowar Hospital are fortunate in that procedures are paid for by generous individual and organisational donors. We were able to proceed with surgery.

Because of the distorted anatomy from the contracture, the surgery can be tedious and dangerous. Crucial arteries, veins, and nerves run behind the knee and need to be protected in order for the surgery to be successful. 

After the surgery, Sadiku spent several weeks on his stomach to allow for the wounds to heal. At discharge, the doctor was able to see Sadiku smile.

The young man returned to the clinic three months after surgery. The limp was gone! He was proud to show off how he could walk without impairment. He then broke into a run. He said he was the third fastest runner in his class! 
It makes us reflect on the theme of walking and running in the Bible. God wanted to walk with Adam and Eve in Eden. Sin ruined this walk and made us lame. We all walk with this limp, and if it isn’t healed through the restoring work of Jesus Christ, the limp gets worse and ultimately results in death.
Sadiku’s story reminds us, that the limp can be taken away, God can heal. Helping a man walk and forgiving sin are both possible for Him.
And we can walk with God again.

Prayer: 

• -    Thank God for Sadiku’s healing and pray for others who are suffering from physical ailments. Ask that they may receive the medical care they need and experience God’s restoring power in their lives.
• -    Lift up the SIM doctor and all mission workers serving in hospitals and outreach clinics. Pray for wisdom, skill, and strength as they provide life-changing care.
• -    Pray that those who are spiritually burdened or feel distant from God may experience his forgiveness and restoration. Ask that many would come to walk closely with Him once again.