People in the village slowly began hearing the story.
A child had been rejected by his father, abandoned by his mother, and now needed an operation his new caregiver could never afford.
Some villagers brought food.
Others gave small amounts of money.
One person gave the equivalent of only a few coins.
Another sold several chickens and donated the money.
Little by little, the amount began to grow.
Then something unexpected happened.
A nurse from the hospital shared the baby’s story with a charity organization working with children born with cleft lips.
Several days later, the neighbor received a phone call.
The surgery could be arranged.
Most of the cost would be covered.
She sat down and began crying.
Not from sadness this time.
From relief.
Months later, the little boy underwent surgery.
When the bandages were finally removed, the neighbor stared at his face and smiled through tears.
