Country Director Chris Blackham reports from Uganda.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)

Njuba was only a few months old when his mother abandoned him. His father reluctantly took the baby in, but his new wife was preoccupied nursing her newborn baby. Njuba began to grow weaker and weaker and became a huge burden in the eyes of his stepmother. Looking for a way out, his stepmother managed to convince the grandmother to take care of him, washing her hands of the responsibility.

The grandmother was shocked by his condition and physical appearance. She began to regret her decision, as she had no idea how she was going to care for such a sick child.

“He was flesh and bone when he arrived and I was afraid he was going to die in my hands,” she said.

She decided to honor her commitment and help Njuba back to health. Although Njuba steadily gained weight, his grandmother couldn’t help but notice his poor breathing pattern. She took him to many clinics and got many different diagnoses. After all the love and care she had poured into the child was she now going to lose him because of something no one knew how to fix?

The grandmother’s love and dedication paid off when a final medical check-up revealed a heart defect. Despite being stunned and afraid by the severity of the diagnosis, identifying the problem gave her hope. She continued to pray, and God answered.

Njuba was selected by the Children’s Heart Project to receive life-saving heart surgery. He underwent successful surgery in Uganda by a team of visiting cardiologists and is now living a normal, healthy life.

His grandmother is amazed and eternally thankful to Samaritan’s Purse—and more importantly to God.

“God is great!” she said. “Where does one find such favor? Life-saving surgery, food to keep us strong, a hospital bed and extraordinary medical care, all provided by people who love us. God surely has a plan for this boy; He has seen him through incredible hardship. I believe Njuba shall be great in God’s eyes and has a wonderful future ahead of him!”

Samaritan's Purse , Uganda , Love Without Boundaries

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