Stories > Restored dignity for Mary.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

Mary had already endured more heartbreak than most mothers could imagine.

One by one, she lost four babies during childbirth. Each loss brought unimaginable grief. Yet even this was not the end of her suffering.

After her fourth labour, which was long and obstructed, Mary developed obstetric fistula – a devastating childbirth injury that left her unable to control the constant leaking of urine.

In the days that followed, her life changed completely.

Confused and distressed, Mary didn’t understand what was happening to her body. She tried to manage as best she could, wrapping herself in cloths to contain the leaking. But nothing worked. The smell, discomfort, and shame became overwhelming.

Still, life had to go on.

To survive, Mary returned to the marketplace to earn what little she could. But each day was filled with anxiety.

“I’m always worried, whenever I go where people are,” she said. “I am very conscious and fearful that my urine will leak out.”

Like many women in her community, Mary had no access to the medical care she needed. She tried traditional remedies, hoping for relief, but they only made her more unwell. Eventually, her body could take no more, and she collapsed in the market.

That moment became a turning point.

At a local hospital, Mary was treated for her illness, and for the first time, healthcare workers recognised the true cause of her suffering – obstetric fistula. Although they could not treat her there, they referred her to a specialist hospital supported by cbm.

This referral would change everything.

Mary travelled to the cbm-funded Sustainable Family Healthcare Foundation in Abuja, where women from across Nigeria come to receive life-changing treatment. She arrived afraid and uncertain, unable to pay for surgery, and unsure of what awaited her.

Instead, she was met with compassion.

The staff welcomed Mary with kindness and dignity. She was not judged or turned away – she was cared for. Her surgery and treatment were made possible through the generosity of supporters like you.

In a skilled operation, surgeons repaired the tear that had caused her years of suffering.

For the first time since her injury, the leaking stopped.

Mary’s body began to heal – and so did her spirit.

Where once she had felt broken and ashamed, she began to rediscover her sense of worth. No longer needing to hide away or live in fear, she could return to her community with confidence.

After her recovery, Mary shared words she never thought she would say again:

“I am so happy.”

Today, Mary’s life has been transformed.

Her dignity has been restored. She is free from the isolation that once defined her days. And while the grief of losing her children remains, she now carries hope for the future.

Because of compassionate supporters like you, Mary’s story did not end in suffering.

It became a story of healing.

And for many more mothers still living in silence and shame, that same hope is waiting.