They thought he was “possessed”!
A patient story: Oscar Madohona

01 APRIL 2010 | LOME, TOGO

Oscar Madohona had a cleft lip that remained unrepaired for ten years. He was born in West Africa, where a cleft abnormality can be a life-threatening condition. Many people there also believe cleft lips are caused by evil spirits and anyone who has contact with such a person can also fall foul of those same evil spirits. They are often shunned or even abandoned by their families and communities.

Caring for a child with a cleft can be difficult. Emotionally, parents face rejection of themselves and their child by their community. Practically, they don’t have what’s needed to assure that the baby is adequately fed. Oscar’s mother, Florentine, faced these struggles.

“When Oscar was born, some people thought the child was a bad spirit and said I should abandon him,” she told us. “I thought he would die because I could not take care of him. I was scared I would not be able to feed him. But some others encouraged me to try, so I gave everything to God. I trusted Him to help me take care of Oscar.”

Florentine succeeded in meeting Oscar’s physical needs, but she could not protect him from emotional pain and rejection.

“The other kids would tease and insult me. When they teased me, I felt very bad,” said Oscar. “Kids teased him to the point where he didn’t want to go to school,” added Florentine. “For a while, he stopped going. I felt a very, very big pain in my heart when people teased him.”

An unbelievable solution
While living in Ivory Coast, Florentine’s husband heard the Africa Mercy was performing free operations in Benin. At first, he was sceptical. But after further inquires, he realized it was true: there really was such a hospital ship. He sent Florentine and Oscar to the ship in Benin.

Florentine, originally from Benin, was suspicious. But when she and her son arrived at the Africa Mercy, Florentine’s fears were relieved. What her husband had heard was actually true.

Oscar received free surgery and now has a restored smile. He no longer has to worry about being teased at school.

“I am very happy now. I will tell the other kids at school what God has done for me,” said Oscar.