Kumba petrified by fear of death

Kumba is a 17 year-old girl, who said she was a Christian, last year delivered a still-born child after a long hard labour. Afterwards she leaked urine from a fistula, so in misery she went to the village medicine man. He, after tying herbs round her feet said that sand would pass into her feet and would rise through her body and cure the problem. If it reached her head, however she would certainly die.

Suddenly a Mercy Ships vehicle appeared in her area, offering surgery in Freetown. She climbed aboard, and soon found herself facing a white doctor offering an operation to cure her. She thought of the death-warning on her and was terrified. She asked repeatedly to be taken home to have the curse dealt with. At last after days of reassurance and teaching from Florence our counsellor and others she agreed to surgery. Two weeks later, cured but still anxious about the 'sand', here she is after her ‘gladi gladi’ going home.