The delivery of Imelda Sichoongo’s baby girl was a typical one. Imelda had gone into labor late at night and a birth attendant was called to her home as was customary in her village. The delivery had been smooth and without complication. Yet under the soft flicker of candlelight, the birth attendant could tell something was seriously wrong.

In the still dark night, Imelda gave birth to a baby girl with an open wound on her back—spina bifida. That same night, mother and child were taken to a local clinic. They were referred from hospital to hospital over the course of the next few weeks and still no answers were provided. Finally, Imelda and her baby girl were transferred to Beit Trust CURE International Hospital of Zambia (BCH).

Surgeons operated on Imelda’s three-week-old baby girl only three short days after being admitted. This child without a name, this child whose father thought she would not survive, was now recovering and thriving.

The story of Imelda and her baby girl did not end with the surgery.

While Imelda’s child recovered, she was approached by BCH’s spiritual team. She was kind and patient with them, but doubted their message. After all, she was fine and her baby was doing well. Although something stirred in the recesses of her heart.

It was during a BCH Sunday Service that Imelda knew something was different. She could no longer deny the words being preached. So, while her precious baby girl was given life through surgery, Imelda found life through salvation. This mother and daughter offer a truly touching example of CURE’s dedication to both medical and spiritual healing.