God’s Love, Mercy, and Healing for Angello

It can happen in an instant… 

Angello was just four when he climbed a tree, laughing with his friends. Before his usual bright smile could fade, he was falling. Searing pain erupted in his leg upon impact as his right femur fractured. 

By the time our Joni and Friends team met Angello and his family at a Wheels for the World™ outreach in Uganda the year after Angello’s fall, the untreated fracture site had developed a bone infection, leading to a dangerous septic wound.  

Angello’s parents Edward and Mary, both of whom work as farmers and minister in their local church, have always sought to meet the needs of their four children. For Angello, who was born with spina bifida and club foot, proper care and treatment have often required significant travel and expense. While Angello had started a program to correct his clubfoot, his parents could not afford the transport costs to attend the necessary orthopedic reviews, resulting in the clubfoot relapsing.  

It was not Angello’s clubfoot, however, but the excruciating pain in his broken and infected leg that led Mary to our outreach, carrying her son in her arms. When she shared that her family could not afford the care her son desperately needed, our Joni’s House team made a plan, which saved Angello’s leg and possibly his life. 

A Turning Point for Angello and His Family 

With the help of our Joni’s House Uganda team, Angello’s family met with orthopedic surgeons who scheduled three consecutive corrective surgeries for him, which included wound debridement and correction of clubfoot. 

After his surgeries, Angello’s mobility improved significantly, and months later, he could stand and walk with the aid of crutches. As the weeks went by, his balance continued to improve, and he progressed from using two crutches to using just one. Soon Angello was back to attending school, running around with his friends using a single crutch. 

A Message of Gratitude from Mary, Angello’s Mother 

Mary shares the powerful difference God has made in the life of her family through Joni and Friends: 

“I want to express my deep gratitude to Joni and Friends for funding my son’s surgeries, which have enabled him to walk again and return to school. Although he still uses crutches, he is in a better functional state than when he used to crawl on the ground as means of mobility. 

I appreciate the psychosocial support and Gospel-sharing sessions we have received during my visits to the Joni and Friends office. These encounters have strengthened my faith and inspired me to continue serving in our local church. 

When I look at the support from Joni’s House and the miraculous provision for Angello’s medical needs, it is a powerful reminder of God’s love and mercy towards our family.”