One boy especially caught my eye. His name is Joiner, and he was five years old. He was born with a cleft palate and club feet. At the time, the request was to buy Joiner knee pads as crawling on his knees was his only way to move around. He had extremely thick callouses on both of his knees and they were causing him discomfort. Knee pads. That is all that was asked for.
Joiner's picture has been sitting on my desk since I first learned about him, and he has continuously haunted me. In one of my first trips to Nicaragua I met a little boy who had had his club feet surgically corrected and he was running and playing with his friends. Why couldn't Joiner have the same fate?
The quest soon began to find Joiner a sponsor. Shortly after I joined staff I met a man who had sponsored yet another little boy to have his club feet corrected. He talked about what an honor it had been to help the boy and to let him know if there was ever another similar case. Bingo!
I began contacting the man, explaining Joiner's situation and presenting the opportunity to help. Each attempt went more or less unanswered. This past January I was speaking to a community coordinator about a potential water project in their community, and wouldn't you know... Joiner's dad was pushing him on a bicycle through the community. I soon learned that another NGO had corrected Joiner's cleft palate a few months before and he was doing well. Joiner sat patiently as I took his picture. He was extremely shy and not used to having much interaction.
I soon returned to the States and sent the potential donor Joiner's photo and gave him an update on Joiner's status. Still no response. It wasn't until about a month and a half later on a Friday afternoon after a really hard week that I received the call.
Man: "Does Joiner still need a sponsor?"
Me: "Yes...?"
Man: "I will have the check in today's mail."
Me: sobbing.
I immediately began emailing our doctors and director in Nicaragua to let them know to get the ball rolling on Joiner's surgery. In my mind, a wand would be flicked through the air, fairy dust would scatter, and Joiner would be walking. Not the case.
Two weeks later, Joiner was taken to a doctor who insisted that at the age of seven, Joiner was too old for the surgery and he needed his legs amputated. No no no! I would not take that for an answer.
After a few trips to and from Nicaragua, carrying precious x-rays, we found a hospital nearby that would donate the surgery and Joiner's stay. Still not the answer I was looking for. No way was I going to bring a boy and his mom, who had barely ever left their extremely remote community to the US for a long period of time. I don't know which would be more traumatizing- the surgery or the experience of coming to the US.
After long stints of my impatience, we FINALLY found a doctor to do the surgery in Nicaragua. Two in fact. We chose a doctor at the Nicaraguan medical school.
Two weeks from today Joiner's legs and feet were casted to stretch his legs and begin straightening them. Last Wednesday he received his second set of casts which straightened and stretched his legs even farther. Today he got his last set of casts. Next week he will (hopefully) be ready for surgery on his feet. After that, surgery on his knees. Then he will have leg braces and tremendous amounts of therapy until he is able to walk. The entire process is expected to take eight months.
I had the great honor last week to be staying in the same city as Joiner with my group. We met and hung out with Joiner each day during our stay, possibly Joiner's only visitors during his stay. He got coloring books and other goodies, visited a coffee shop and restaurant (a first!), and took pictures as he explored the city square. We instilled in him that he is capable of doing all things through Christ and he has many people praying for him. Overall, we loved and spoiled him as much as we could.
Today I had the honor of sharing pictures of Joiner's adventures with his sponsor who immediately sent me an email. He essentially explained that he has been having a bad week, getting caught up in small details and inconveniences of life and hearing about Joiner had put everything into perspective. It "put a smile in his heart".
It is hard for me to comprehend all that God is doing in this little boy's life. I read about Jesus telling the lame to pick up their mat and walk, but it seems like that was something of the past. In truth, it is happening right now... right before my eyes. Christ is still performing miracles, and it is so exciting!
I have a picture of Joiner and me on my desk now. He does not leave my mind. I often times think about how he has never been to school and how he has no friends. His mother used to hide him in the kitchen to keep people from seeing that she had a son with deformities. Our staff didn't even know about Joiner for quite some time. That is no more.
Joiner's eyes lit up when I asked if he wanted to go to school. He told me he wanted to become a teacher. My prayer is that he will never lose that passion. He gets a second chance at life- a life full of friends and school and employment and anything else put before him.
The lame will walk... and do great thing.
Joiner and his mom were a bit nervous and shy the first day.
Joiner and his mom enjoying a coffee shop for the first time.
When asked what he wanted his picture with, Joiner wanted the lion.
The photo reminder I look at everyday in my office :)
Joiner was amazed by this pool of water because his community does not have water.
We were lemonade buddies. :)
Joiner's very first meal in a restaurant.
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