NFL football player Tim Tebow is popularly known for his love of God, faith and gentle heart, along with his great football skills. The son of missionaries, Tebow has traveled the world on many different mission trips.
However, it was in the Philippines, about 15 years ago, that he came across a young boy named Sherwin who really changed Tim’s life forever.
Ever seen they met, Tebow has been back multiple times and even created the Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City, Philippines in an attempt to help children such as Sherwin who have certain special needs and physical disabilities. But it was one boy he met during a recent trip that really set his heart ablaze…
After his first visit, Sherwin became the inspiration for Tim to establish the Tim Tebow Foundation to help others in need like the little boy. Sherwin had a leg deformity that caught Tim’s attention.
So did a little boy named Aldrin who years later sought help at the Tebow CURE Hospital, one of the initiatives Sherwin inspired.
The Tebow CURE Hospital has performed 2,139 surgeries on at-risk and at-need individuals since its inception in 2014. When Aldrin arrived, Dr. Mead was stunned by his congenital knee deformity.
The 11-year-old’s knees bent the wrong direction and looked like a flamingo’s legs. Because no one had done anything about Aldrin’s terrible condition, doctors had their work cut out for them.
The skin stretched out across the front of the leg. His femur was malformed. His tendons were contracted.
This wouldn’t be an easy procedure but the doctors were ready for the challenge. They were about to give this sweet little boy a new lease on life!
To completely redesign his legs to where they worked properly, the doctors at the hospital tackled the huge project with hope. Aldrin knew he would emerge from surgery with legs that finally worked, although he would need intensive physical therapy just to stand and walk.
Aldrin’s family could not believe the assistance they received at the hospital and how blessed their little boy was for the opportunity to one day walk.
When the day finally came for Aldrin’s surgery, everyone felt comfortable putting his health in the doctors’ hands. Even his mother, who had kept a close eye on her boy since birth, was at ease when he went under the knife.
She said:
“When he had surgery it was OK because their staff gave us encouragement and they take care of us very well.”
Now Aldrin is in physical therapy to learn how to walk with his straight new legs – and none of it would be possible without Tim Tebow’s big heart and incredible outlook on life.
Learn more about this condition and watch Aldrin fight to have a normal life in the video below. He’s an inspiration!
