Miracle’s Story: From Abandonment to Love

A cry in the darkness

Sometimes, a moment changes our lives forever. For one young man, Enoch, this moment came when he heard a sound — a thin cry in the dark.

Enoch recalls, “It was a Saturday night in October, around 9 pm. My friend and I were walking home. It had rained earlier, so we had our phone torches on to light the way.

“As we passed a drainage stream, we heard crying. We thought someone had maybe thrown a dog into the water. We kept walking, but the cries continued. We turned back.

“That’s when we found the baby.

“She was naked except for a soaking nappy. Lying in a plastic bag, only her nose poked through the water. At first, we were too scared to remove her. We thought people might suspect that we were the ones who’d thrown her in.”

Moving with compassion

Glady and Miracle standing by the drain, February 2023.

Enoch’s mum, Gladys remembers that night vividly. “Enoch came and said, ‘Mum, a child has been thrown into the drain.’

“I went to see her, and indeed, it was true. Thankfully, the bag had been pushed to the edge of the drain by rubbish, which blocked it from flowing down the channel. I was deeply saddened, and I felt great compassion.”

“We went to the police station, but they told us, ‘We can’t keep her. Take her back.’

“I knew God had allowed her to survive. I felt compelled to help her because, at that moment, she had no mother; she had no father. I said, ‘Let me take care of this child.’ I abandoned all the work I was doing. I thought perhaps God had chosen me.

“As a mother, I knew about body-to-body warmth. So, I held the baby close to my chest and wrapped a blanket around us.”

Miracle, February 2023.

Gladys took the baby home. “I wasn’t going to let her be abandoned a second time,” says Gladys.

Moved with compassion, Gladys, her husband and their four children, including Enoch, welcomed the baby into their family. They named her ‘Miracle’.

“I only had 30,000 shillings (about £6). I used some of it to buy baby formula and glucose. I had no crib, no baby clothes — and not enough money to buy her any.”

Thankfully, the church stepped in with immediate support.  

Compassion’s support through the local church

Sheila is Project Director for the local church’s Compassion project. She says, “When Gladys first came and told us Miracle’s story, I was in awe. That ditch is no place for a human being, especially a newborn.

“Gladys was really stressed. Everyone else had turned her away.

“We registered Miracle to receive support through our child survival programme. She was so weak. Her stomach was swollen from the dirty water she’d ingested, and she needed urgent medical attention. We documented every doctor’s visit and tracked her healing. Slowly, we saw her grow stronger. By six months, she wasn’t sickly anymore.”

Why the local church matters

Gladys and Miracle, November 2024

Gladys has found the ongoing support of her local church invaluable as she dedicates herself to raising Miracle as her own. “Whoever we meet at church makes things easier for us. Everyone is so accommodating, and they take time to call and check on us. The milk and healthcare we get from the project have been such a great relief to us as a family because those are two expenses we cannot afford.

“And when Miracle got a sponsor, we were so happy. Her sponsor has given additional gifts, which we’ve used to buy her clothes, and they’ve written us letters. Miracle loves the other children she gets to meet at the project, and they play together. 

“Compassion’s support has eased our financial burden and made sure I had what I needed to care for her. I, too, am treated when I fall sick. They’ve enrolled me in a skills programme, teaching me sewing and bag-making so I can earn an income.

“Through Miracle, with Compassion’s support, the Lord has added so much value to my life.”

The joy Miracle brings

“The joy Miracle brings is immense,” says Gladys.

“I feel the connection with every little hand reaching out to me when she wakes up. She’s my blessing from God; she has brought me much joy. A newborn baby was thrown into water and left for hours.  And we found her alive, not dead. 

“I’m proud of Enoch, another person might have just walked away and continued their journey, but he was moved by a child crying in the water. He heard her and wept as well. 

“Every time I see her smile, I remember the night we found her. I remember Enoch’s courage. I remember God’s faithfulness. And I know — this child was meant to live.”

Glady, Miracle and Enoch, November 2024

Two years on, Miracle’s story is a testament to the power of love, faith, and community. Once abandoned, now cherished. Once helpless, now thriving.

When you partner with Compassion, you get to be part of the team that surrounds a child with the love and care they need to overcome poverty.

Could you stand alongside a child living in poverty? Sponsor a child today.