First Surgery at Tebow Spine Center Ethiopia is a Huge Success

Haniel, a vibrant and resilient 15-year-old girl, is the first spine surgery recipient at the new Tebow Spine Center at CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia! Thanks to our wonderful team, our incredible giving family, and the grace of our powerful God, she has become the first of many Ethiopian children who will receive life-changing surgeries at the Tebow Spine Center.??

Born with severe scoliosis, a condition characterized by an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine, Haniel’s condition, if left untreated, can be serious and potentially fatal. But thanks to the Tebow Spine Center, Haniel’s future will not be defined or limited by her condition.?

Through our strategic partnership, we are able to support the first-ever pediatric spine center at CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia. According to TTF’s ministry partner,?CURE International,?the need for these surgeries is great. It is estimated that 50,000 children in Ethiopia need urgent treatment due to severe spinal conditions. The problem is that currently, there is an overwhelming lack of specialized pediatric care available for children with such critical?needs.

For every four million children in Ethiopia, there is just one fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedic?surgeon.?

This is a huge problem and cause for concern. At the Tim Tebow Foundation, we acknowledge the gravity of the situation, the profound suffering it causes, and the urgent need for action. That is why we are working hand-in-hand with CURE’s Medical Director in Ethiopia, Dr. Timothy Nunn, and African Mission Healthcare to provide much-needed medical care to precious image-bearers of God.?

Alongside our partners at CURE International, we’re on a mission to change the statistics surrounding Ethiopia’s lack of specialized pediatric care, starting with the first surgery recipient, Haniel.

On January 22nd, 2024, Haniel arrived at CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia with her mother, Hirut, for her transformative spine surgery. As is expected before any big surgery, Haniel was a little nervous. The staff at CURE International shared encouraging scripture verses with Haniel, prayed with her, and reassured her that God would be with her during the surgery and in her healing journey ahead.?

The five-hour spine surgery was a huge success without any surprises. Haniel did great, and thanks to the amazing doctors and surgeons at CURE International, she is well on her way to recovery and a better quality of life!?

Haniel has big dreams of becoming a doctor one day, and thanks to our amazing giving family and the incredible care she received at CURE International and the Tebow Spine Center, we have great hope that her dream is possible! We look forward to seeing how God will use Haniel as she grows to inspire others through her story and example of strength, perseverance, and hope.?

Haniel is the first of many children’s lives we hope and pray the Tebow Spine Center will transform by elevating their health and quality of life.

The Tebow Spine Center will provide the surgical and non-surgical care children need to correct their life-limiting spinal deformities; bringing immediate, tangible, and measurable change into their lives. These treatments will give them a chance at a longer, healthier life. We believe these steps truly help us take a significant stride toward addressing the urgent need for specialized pediatric care in Ethiopia.?

The impact of childhood spinal conditions goes beyond physical health. These children frequently face the harsh realities of social rejection, stigmatization, and, in some extreme cases, neglect and?abuse.??

The Tebow Spine Center is addressing Ethiopia's urgent need for specialized pediatric care head-on by helping to stand in the gap and provide life-changing surgery for as many children as possible. As we continue our mission to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need, we feel incredibly honored to play a part in helping transform lives like Haniel’s.??

At the Tim Tebow Foundation, we embrace the call to bring hope where there is despair and fight tirelessly for a future where more children have access to the care they need and?deserve.??

Will you join us in helping precious children like Haniel receive life-changing care?