Maria, now nearly two years old, is the newest child to join our family at the St Joseph’s Orphanage (SJO) in Tanzania. Maria is extremely malnourished and suffers from flat feet and fluorosis of the legs. (In certain areas of Tanzania, there is too much fluoride naturally occurring In the water, which can make the bones of young children soft and cause them to bend in unnatural ways.)
This week Sister Crispina Mnate, founder and director of SJO, took Maria to see our friends at The Plaster House in Arusha for an assessment. Next steps: Sister will now take Maria to be fitted for leg braces that she will wear for at least a year to correct her flat foot and move her legs into proper position. She will also start an aggressive nutrition-rich re-feeding program with weekly weight checks. While baby Maria has clearly suffered a painful start to her young life, we are thankful that she is now at SJO where she will receive great love and excellent care.