Anja Loven, the care worker coined the 'guardian angel' for her efforts made to save a starving Nigerian boy from death after his family abandoned him has described her relief and joy following his against-all-odds recovery.
After Anja found the toddler branded 'witch boy' by his parents on the streets of south-east Nigeria, she named him 'Hope' and began work on his recuperation.
Now, in an astounding example of science and determination, Hope is more than on the mend.
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Pictures provided exclusively to MailOnline show the young boy in a supremely healthier physical state, playing football.
"Hope is like a son to me." Anja told the Mail. "Like the rest of our children I love him more than words can describe."
"I was so sick to my bones to see a two-year-old boy in such a horrible condition," she said, reflecting on first seeing his frail figure in January.
"When we first entered the village I looked over my shoulders and slowly turned around to see Hope sitting on the side of the road.
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"I thought I was going to see a bigger boy but when I saw he was the size of a little baby, my whole body froze.
"I became a mother myself 20 months ago and I was thinking of my own son when I saw Hope."
He was quickly given the best treatment possible, removing the worms in his stomach as well as making him undergo daily blood transfusions to increase the number of red blood cells in his body.
Prior to treatment, Hope had been living and tending to himself on the streets for eight months. A disastrous level of independence that left him with innumerable diseases.
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"He got the best treatment we could give him, and everyday my team and I was hoping that he would survive... Very quickly we discovered that Hope was a very strong boy. A little fighter." Anja said. "A few days after we rescued him, my husband David and I brought our son along to the hospital. This was the first time we saw a smile on Hope's face."
Witch accusations are sadly commonplace in certain areas of African countries. There is currently little knowledge of Hope's parents.
However, Anja's charity African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation caters for children like Hope.
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"My team and I are so overwhelmed by all the love we are receiving from all over the world," Anja said, after she received $1 million in donations from around the world to assist her work.
"This is something we have never dared to dream about. We have been fighting this superstition for many years and finally the whole world is looking at the important work we are doing."
Words by Josh Teal
Images credit: Anja Ringgren Loven
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Charity