Along the shores of Lake Albert in Uganda, in a small fishing village far from major roads and hospitals, a young girl named Gloria grew up navigating a world that wasn’t built for her.
When Gloria was still an infant, a candle tipped over in the night and caught her bed on fire. Her leg was severely burned before her mother could reach her. With no access to specialized medical care, the burn healed on its own, leaving behind a deep burn scar contracture that pulled her knee tightly and prevented her from straightening her leg.
As she grew, Gloria’s world got smaller. “She needed surgery,” her mother remembers. “Her life was difficult. The other children bullied her because she was disabled.”
Burn scar contractures are the fifth most common cause of disability in children worldwide, and in many low-income communities, children live with these preventable limitations simply because access to reconstructive care doesn’t exist. Gloria was one of those children—until a chance moment changed her life.
One afternoon, a short WhatsApp video began circulating in a local community group. The clip showed a little girl walking down a dirt path with crutches, her right leg bent stiffly at the knee, swinging out sideways with each step.
On the other end of that screen was Dr. Rose Alenyo, a ReSurge International Surgical Outreach Partner and one of Uganda’s few reconstructive surgeons. “When I saw her in that video,” Dr. Alenyo said, “I immediately knew she was suffering from a burn scar contracture—and that we could help her.”
Arrangements were made. Gloria and her mother traveled from their remote village to meet Dr. Alenyo. The contracture was severe but fully treatable through reconstructive surgery. Gloria’s surgery would be completely free.
“When I first saw her stand after the surgery, I thanked God,” her mother said. “I want others to see—if they can help Gloria, they can help others too.”
Today, Gloria is full of joy, movement, and newfound confidence. She can walk, run, jump, and play soccer—her favorite sport. She loves to jump rope, something she used to watch other children do from the sidelines. And she has returned to school, no longer limited by pain or by the hurtful words of classmates who once bullied her. Her life has opened up again.
In communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, millions of children live with treatable disabilities caused by burns, trauma, or congenital conditions. Without trained reconstructive surgeons, they are forced to grow up with limitations that surgery could repair. ReSurge partners like Dr. Rose Alenyo are transforming this reality—one child, one family, one community at a time.
Gloria no longer lives defined by her injury. She lives defined by her potential.
