Senzelwe: On His Own Two Feet
For the past 15 years, longtime CMMB volunteers, the Hartmann’s have dedicated much of their lives to bringing hope and dignity to the people of Swaziland through home-based healthcare. Together with a team from the Good Shepherd Mission Hospital, they administer medications, treatments, and human kindness as well as advocating for those whose voices are so often unheard. Here they share a story about a little boy whose life was changed as a result of their care and advocacy.
Letter shared by Kathleen and Al Hartmann:
Meet Senzelwe, a sweet little boy from Swaziland.
Senzelwe was born with the congenital disorder, Clubfoot. This condition causes abnormalities in one or both feet, where the affected foot appears to be twisted or internally rotated at the ankle. For Senzelwe, both feet were impacted.
Due to his condition, his loving and dedicated mother had been carrying him ever since.
This became increasingly difficult for her as Senzelwe got older and bigger. Apart from worrying about how she would cope physically, his mom’s biggest concern was what would happen when it was time for him to go to school. She worked tirelessly to find a solution – nothing was going to stop her from ensuring her son got an education. Fortunately, before school started, Senzelwe managed to get a wheelchair that made the long journey over the rocky roads to his classroom easier.
But it wasn’t enough. Both Senzelwe and his family had bigger wishes – that one day, Senzelwe would be able to walk to school himself.
The Home Based Care team met Senzelwe and his family and together they wondered if there was any way to make his wish to walk someday come true. But how? His Mom had spent the little money she had bringing Senzelwe to and from Government hospitals, doctors, physical therapists and healers, all in a desperate attempt to find something or someone that would be able to help.
Once again, it seemed their hopes and prayers had been answered. The Home Based Team reached out to a South African orthotist who visits a private clinic in Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland, once a month to provide his services. Orthotists design and fabricate medical supportive devices and measure and fit patients for them. These devices include artificial limbs (arms, hands, legs, and feet), braces, and other medical or surgical devices.
Upon hearing Senzelwe’s story, he agreed to meet and evaluate the child’s medical needs. After this meeting, he immediately agreed to help. He advocated with the surgeons at the government hospital and was able to get Senzelwe scheduled to receive the initial surgery.
After healing from the surgery, Senzelwe was in casts for some time to straighten his legs. He was then measured for special boots that were custom made. Senzelwe is now walking and very proud to be joining his friends at school without having to be carried by his mom or sitting in a wheelchair.
This is just the beginning. We look forward to continuing our work with him, to ensure that Senzelwe gets the help he needs as he grows. And it’s important because he has big dreams to achieve.
He says he wants to be a doctor someday so that he can help others.