Superstar athletes seem to have it all, don’t they? Wealth beyond imagination, the adulation of millions around the world, as well as fame and all of its perks.
Of course, just because they’re idolized by the masses doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all nice, good hearted people. Athletes are normal human beings after all, and as such are subject to all the pit-falls and flaws thereby associated.
No one, however, can accuse Tim Tebow of being anything but a shining example of children everywhere. The former NFL star, now plying his trade in the MLB, has launched a number of charitable initiatives over the years. Without a doubt, one of his most impressive is the Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City, Philippines.
Since its birth, the Tebow CURE Hospital has performed 2,139 surgeries on individuals without proper access to medical care. A recent story has gained particular media attention, and goes to show just how much Tebow’s initiative is doing…
Dr. Tim Mead is an on-staff surgeon at the Tebow CURE Hospital and can attest to the sort of procedures that are undertaken there.
The case of one 11-year-old named Aldrin, however, shocked even him. Aldrin had a horrible congenital knee deformity, which Mead described as leaving him like a flamingo.
“Essentially, Aldrin’s knee bends the wrong way like a flamingo,” Mead wrote on the CURE blog. “When we see children with knees like this early, we can often cast the knees and improve them …
“When young, the surgery is much less involved. At age 14, surgery is a true challenge.”
“Aldrin, your surgery is over," said OR Nurse Jaime. Aldrin then responded, "Only by the grace of God," to which we exclaimed, "Amen!" This is what we do every day. #MondayMotivation https://hubs.ly/H09VkkR0
Posted by CURE International on Monday, February 5, 2018
Due to the fact that Aldrin’s problem had been ignored for the entirety of his life, Mead and his team had a great deal of work on their hands. There was stretched skin on the front of Aldrin’s leg, a contracted tendon and even a malformed femur.
Without going into too much detail, Mead’s work – undertaken with the aim of altering Aldrin’s legs so that they function properly – involved slicing, dividing, sawing, hammering, screwing and stitching. In the end, though, the 11-year-old’s surgery was a success.
Of course, the boy will need a lot of physical therapy moving forward, and his journey is far from over. If he sticks to his program, however, he’ll not only be able to stand up properly, but walk as well.
“When he had surgery, it was okay because their staff gave us encouragement, and they take care of us very well,” Aldrin’s mom said.
“They encourage me and gave me strength that God knows and has an idea of what is best for him. God is in control just like in your doctors and whatever is good for Aldrin.”
We’re happy that Aldrin has a second chance, and it’s all because of Tim Tebow’s brilliant foundation. Without it, who knows what Aldrin’s life would have been like!
We can’t be the only ones that want to say a big thank you to Tim, Dr. Mead and his team, and wish Aldrin well! Share this article if you do to!
