This Christmas we take time to remember Immanuel – God with us. God drew close to us at Christmas, bringing hope and light to a world that so desperately needed good news. Would you be able to respond this Christmas to give a gift that would bring hope to someone like Hailekiros in Ethiopia?
Hailekiros was born into hardship. His mother died giving birth to him. He had to grow up without her presence. He never got to experience a loving hug from his mum. Can you picture how painful it must have been as he saw his friends with their mums. For a while, his father tried to take care of him and do the best he could.
If that all wasn’t hard enough for a child to take, he was about to face another blow. When he was just 10 years old, pale patches began to appear on his hands and feet. Hailekiros’ father took him to several health posts. Each time, the outcome was the same. Nobody knew what was wrong with him. They didn’t recognise the signs of leprosy. None of the traditional remedies worked. Can you imagine how confusing that must have been for such a young boy?
Hailekiros didn’t know it but leprosy was slowly spreading, robbing him of feeling in his hands and feet. His fingers began to curl in on themselves, and ulcers persisted on his feet.
Eventually, Hailekiros arrived at ALERT Hospital in Addis Ababa. Here, the doctors recognised the signs of leprosy straight away. And Hailekiros received the cure.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for him, though. He discovered what had been happening to him, but his father decided to leave him to join the army and never returned. It was another huge blow. Hailekiros felt desperately alone.
But he was thrown a lifeline. Dr Solomon, one of the hospital’s physicians, treated Hailekiros. In the midst of his loneliness, Dr Solomon took him into his care and later adopted him.
Hailekiros knew what it was to belong again. To be loved. To be seen. If it wasn’t for ALERT Hospital, Hailekiros wouldn’t have been cured of leprosy. And he wouldn’t have met Dr Solomon.
But for every Hailekiros who finds the loving care at ALERT Hospital, there are so many still waiting to be found. This Advent, will you help find and heal people like Hailekiros and lift them out of despair?