On the 11th day of Stand Tall Christmas

Zainab, The greatest achievement of 2019!!!

Most you spent the year learning about Zainab and her very long, arduous journey to health.  The short version goes like this:

Her family first took her to the doctors for a curve in her spine when she was around 7 years old.  The doctors recognized scoliosis and gave her a brace.  She wore different braces on and off for years and as you can see by the pictures, she just got worse and worse.  By the time she found us, she was 15 years old and really miserable.  We put her on the waiting list right away, but then she spent 3 more years waiting for surgery.  Every time it was her turn, a child more critical came into the program and she had to wait again.  Until, we had no choice, if she didn’t go this year, she may never be able to receive surgery.  Even at the hospital, it was a dicey situation.  She had severe malnutrition and her body just didn’t want to gain weight.  She also had issues with her lungs because they were compressed by her spine and her breathing had to improve.  The surgeon prepared her for surgery three times only to cancel each time worried about complications.

But the 4th time was the winner!!!  She underwent a successful surgery and finally, after 8 months in the hospital, she returned home to her family in July at the age of 19 years old.  Can you imagine 8 months, in a foreign country, away from your family? She missed birthdays, holidays, even her sister’s wedding.  But it was all worth it when you see the amazing woman that she is today.

Her physical health is nothing short of amazing.  Zainab’s surgery is the most complicated that we have ever endeavored to help with and her resounding success is nothing short of a miracle.  

She’s only been home a few months and is still not used to her new life.  I was speaking with her recently and she told me that she decided she no longer wants to be an accountant.  I asked what she wanted to do instead and she gave me the best answer.  She has no clue what she wants to do because she has never had so many options in life before. She needs time to figure it out.

The first greatest gift we could give to Zainab is her life.  The second, is an abundance of choices and opportunities that she never had before.  I want her to try everything that she missed over the years until she figures out what she truly loves.  Then, I hope that she will pursue it with all her heart.

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