A little girl once rushed to Mother of Mercy Hospital in desperate condition now has a home, a family, and a future.
African Mission Healthcare is delighted to share the joyful news that Dr. Tom and his wife, Nasima, have welcomed a little girl named Zaitun into their family through adoption.
Zaitun (pictured in red next to Dr. Tom in the photo above) joins her brothers, Francis Gene, age 8½, and Vincent, who recently turned 2. Her name, which means “olive” in Arabic, carries a beautiful symbolic meaning: peace, blessing, nourishment, healing, and resilience. Those words could hardly be more fitting for her story.
Zaitun’s journey to the Catena family began in heartbreak. During the ongoing conflict in Sudan, she lost both of her parents. Severely malnourished and neglected, she was brought to safety through the intervention of local community members and an NGO, eventually arriving at Mother of Mercy Hospital.
When she came to the hospital, Zaitun was four years old, though her frail body made her appear much younger. She was severely malnourished, with a distended abdomen, painful pressure sores, and contractures in both hips and knees — a condition that can occur when joints become stiff or permanently bent after long periods without movement.
Her condition was fragile. But she was not alone.
Dr. Tom personally entrusted her care to a visiting physiotherapist from India, who worked alongside the hospital’s nutrition ward staff to help Zaitun recover. The team cared for her with remarkable tenderness and consistency. She received physiotherapy three times a day, including gentle stretching, repositioning, and gradual strengthening.
At first, even the smallest movements caused pain. But slowly, Zaitun began to respond.
After two weeks, she could sit independently. By the third week, she was standing with support and beginning to take steps.
Her physical progress was remarkable. But as her strength returned, one question remained: what would happen to Zaitun after she was discharged?
That is when Dr. Tom and Nasima made an extraordinary decision.
The same doctor who had helped save Zaitun’s life, together with his wife — a registered nurse and Male Ward In-Charge Nurse at Mother of Mercy — chose to give her something every child needs: a home, a family, and a future.
In their care, Zaitun has continued to thrive.
The visiting physiotherapist later saw her again, two months after those first painful therapy sessions. This time, Zaitun was no longer the frightened child who became anxious at the sight of treatment. She greeted her with a bright, confident smile.
Then she said two unforgettable words: “Thank you.”
Zaitun’s story began with unimaginable loss. But by God’s grace, through the compassion of her community, the care of Mother of Mercy Hospital, and the love of Dr. Tom and Nasima, her story has become one of healing, resilience, and belonging.
All of us at African Mission Healthcare celebrate with Dr. Tom, Nasima, Francis, and Vincent as they welcome Zaitun into their family. May her life continue to be filled with the peace, blessing, nourishment, healing, and resilience her name so beautifully represents.