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From Curse to Blessing

Francesca’s Story

By Compelling Story with BethanyKids

February 1^st, 2025

Francesca was born with a disability, one that meant her community saw her as a curse and so they tried to take her life as an infant. Protected by her mother, Francesca’s life was still profoundly challenging until it was radically transformed as a teenager.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

In this video, Francesca shares her powerful story, helping us better understand the deep love she brings to her work at BethanyKids.

I know about suffering. In our culture, any child with a disability the community believes it’s a curse. So they end up killing the children with disabilities.

The death rate for children born with a congenital anomaly is about 100x higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than it is in North America.

Francesca was born with a condition called spina bifida, a birth defect where the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly in the womb. This can lead to physical and neurological impairments impacting mobility as well as bowel and bladder control.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

So when I was born, my grandfather had four wives. They planned to give me a poison.

One of my grandmothers came to my mom and said, “your child is still alive?” And she said, “Yes. Why?” “She is supposed to be killed. Because she is supposed to be given the prison because we cannot live with her, because it’s a curse in our community and even in our family.”

From Curse to Blessing

And then my mom learned about that and she took me, and she ran away.

It was a very sad life. I don’t have friends. I cannot control my bladder. I don’t know even how to do it.

Of course I smell bad.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

I was the only one with a disability in the school. Because many children are killed when they are young. They didn't understand exactly what is going on.

From Curse to Blessing

So I felt lonely at school. I felt lonely at home and I don’t have a place to go.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

Sometimes my mom is stressed and didn’t know what’s going on in me.

So she always tell me, “Can you take care for yourself like your sisters? Why are you wetting yourself?”

From Curse to Blessing

And I told my mom, “I don’t know what to do.” And I I try, but I can’t.

I remember my mom ran away. She ran away without me. And I was just left alone. Sometimes I stayed without food.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

When you need a love from your family and you don’t get it, it always make you sad.

Now I always wish, where is the death? I don’t want to live.

From Curse to Blessing

Now I always wish, where is the death? I don’t want to live.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

In Francesca’s later teen years her condition worsened and she needed professional medical attention.

My dad said that he didn’t have money to take me to the hospital. So my uncle brought me to Kijabe Hospital.

And when I came to Kijabe, when I met Dr. Bransford. I’d say that’s when my life turned.

As one of the first organizations to begin training pediatric surgeons on the continent of Africa, BethanyKids continues to lead the way.

And he taught me about spina bifida. And I was like, “So that’s why I cannot control my bladder?” He taught me all those things.

He took me to the place with the nurses and taught me about catheterization.

The first time I slept in a bed that is dry, and my clothes were dry, and my life was completely changed.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

I don’t have pain. I don’t have smell. God changed me.

From Curse to Blessing

One of the missionaries read for me the book of Jeremiah 29 verse 11. “For I know the plan I have for you. Plan to prosper and not to harm you. Plan to give you hope and a future.”

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

Now I am a child mentor and a counselor with BethanyKids.

So my role is to even to help the children with spina bifida about about their continence, using catheters and bowel management, to talk to the parents, to understand about the disability of their children.

From Curse to Blessing

My work is to tell the child about the Lord, to have dignity, so they can be able to get their own life. To just sit with the kids, just to love them.

I don’t want them to go through what I went through.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

And we are here with my husband. And our son, Jeremy, who is 13 years now.

Now we are doing even pastor training. How do you welcome the people to disabilities in the church and their families.

From Curse to Blessing

BethanyKids exists because of the support that we get from the people like you. And even spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And I really want to appreciate for the people who give to BethanyKids.

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

From Curse to Blessing

Helping children and even transforming lives of their children, giving them hope here in Kenya or even in Africa. I want to say, “Thank you, and we know that we can do even more, because there are still more to be done.”

The view of Mount Longonot crater from Kijabe Hospital.

BethanyKids works to transform the lives of children in Africa, but all of that depends on people like you making the selfless decision to put other people first. Donate today at bethanykids.org

© 2026 Compelling Story with BethanyKids

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