Camey Joy’s story of resilience, overcoming the odds, and persevering began with a miracle.
Joy, author of “Beautifully Scarred: Conquering Clefts, Receiving Adoption, and Embracing Scars,” told CBN News she believes everyone carries emotional, spiritual, and sometimes physical scars. Her own story includes all of these elements.
“I want for people to know that your scars are worthy of the Lord’s grace,” she said.
Joy’s life began with intense difficulty. Born in the mountains of Guatemala with a severe bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate, her parents struggled to sustain her.
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“I was unable to eat and unable to nurse, and so my biological parents, Rita and Jesus, they tried desperately for three days to keep me alive,” she said. “They would take breast milk, put it on rags, and just squeeze it, drip it into my mouth, but with no success.”
Her father wrapped her in a blanket, went down the mountain to a hospital in Guatemala City, and doctors said the family simply didn’t have enough money to treat her, nor did medical professions know how to surgically treat Joy’s needs.
“[The doctor] basically kicked him out and said, ‘She’s gonna die,’” she said, noting her father walked out and started crying over his baby daughter’s life.
And that’s when the miracle unfolded.
“Two men — seemingly out of nowhere — came up and just said, ‘Excuse me, sir. Why are you crying?’” Joy said. “And the two men said, ‘There is hope.’ And the two men led Jesus and I to an orphanage. And along the way, the two men gave Jesus some money and clothing.”
The orphanage’s owner let Joy in, but when Jesus turned back to thank the men, they were gone. The owner then told Jesus no one was with him and Joy when they arrived on site.
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