Giving Precious a hand

Precious, a 9-month-old orphan from Ghana abandoned by her parents when born with a severely deformed hand and foot, received a prosthetic hand March 27 at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora.

The infant, featured in the Feb. 26 Denver Catholic Register (“13-year-old finds life-long mission”), is one of 50 unwanted children rescued by Sister Stan Terese Mario Mumuni, M.A.S.E.L., “Sister Stan,” a missionary in West Africa that started Nazareth’s Home for God’s Children.

Precious has been living with the Buckendorf family, parishioners of St. Joseph Church in Fort Collins, since January.

“She likes it a lot and is using it well,” Whitney Buckendorf said of her foster sister’s new hand. “She’ll soon learn to crawl with it.”

Whitney, 13, raised more than $10,000 that allowed Precious to come the United States to receive the care she needed, as well as secured the hospital and doctors for surgeries. During initial surgery Jan. 22, her arm and a portion of her foot were removed—both malformed due to Amneotic Band Syndrome. During a second surgery March 31, the front of her foot was amputated. In four weeks, Precious will be casted for a prosthetic foot.

“She is doing wonderful,” Whitney said. “And is probably the most happy and talkative baby there is.”

For more information or to support Sister Stan’s Children visit http://sisterstanschildren.org or like them on Facebook.