Cardtonic Cares And Irede Foundation Help Hassana Walk Again

Mornings before school usually have a familiar rhythm. Wake up. Fetch water. Bathe. Dress up. Try not to be late. For Hassana and her sister, that ordinary routine became the moment everything changed.

They had gone to fetch water outside their home when a water tank collapsed on them. Their screams brought their mother running, and within minutes, the family was rushing to the hospital.

At first, everyone hoped treatment would be enough. Doctors tried to save Hassana’s leg through several surgeries, but the damage was too severe. After months of pain, waiting, and uncertainty, amputation became the only option.

Life after that was different.

The things that once felt simple, like running, playing, or moving freely with other children, became difficult. Hassana found herself going back and forth between frustration and helplessness, while her family kept searching for a way forward.

That way forward came when she was referred to the Irede Foundation, a Lagos-based nonprofit that supports children living with limb loss. Through its partnership with Cardtonic Cares, the social impact arm of Cardtonic, Hassana received a sponsored prosthetic limb and began the journey to walking again.

Giving Hassana Another Chance

Founded in 2012 by Christa Chibu, the Irede Foundation was inspired by her experience as a mother after her daughter, Beulah, underwent an amputation as an infant.

The organisation now supports children aged 0 to 18 with prosthetic limbs and educational support, helping them regain movement and access everyday childhood experiences.

The foundation refers to the children it supports as “Champions,” a name that reflects its belief that limb loss should not define a child’s future.

“These children have redefined what people think persons with disability cannot do. That is why we call them Champions,” the Irede Foundation said.

For Hassana’s mother, finding the foundation felt like a long-awaited answer after months of fear and uncertainty.

“God brought a solution, this company gave us a prosthetic leg. We are really grateful,” she said.

Through Cardtonic Cares’ sponsorship and Irede Foundation’s support process, Hassana moved from referral to assessment, fitting, and rehabilitation. It was not a quick handover. It was a careful process built around her body, her comfort, and her ability to move safely again.

The Journey to Hassana’s First Steps

The process involved more than simply receiving a prosthetic limb. Specialists first assessed Hassana’s residual limb to check healing progress, sensitivity, and any phantom pain or sensation.

They then took casts and measurements to create a custom socket fitted to her body. A soft inner liner was added between the residual limb and the hard socket to reduce pressure and improve comfort while walking.

Across several sessions, specialists adjusted the height, balance, socket fit, and gait alignment to help her move safely.

Each fitting session brought Hassana closer to the life she remembered. What started as slow, careful steps became steadier movement as she learned to stand, balance, and walk with growing confidence.

“I tried to play, I couldn’t. I tried to run, I couldn’t. But now… I can do everything,” Hassana said.

Her words captured the change better than any polished corporate sentence could. The support did not just give her a prosthetic limb. It gave her back access to the small, everyday parts of childhood that often go unnoticed until they are taken away.

Moving Forward With Confidence

For Cardtonic Cares and the Irede Foundation, Hassana’s journey shows what can happen when community support meets the right expertise.

Cardtonic Cares was created as part of Cardtonic’s broader community work in Nigeria. While Cardtonic is widely known as a fintech platform offering services such as gift card trading, bill payments, and Virtual Dollar Cards, its social impact efforts focus on supporting real people beyond everyday digital transactions.

In Hassana’s case, that support now shows in motion. It shows in every step she takes, every game she can join, and every school day that no longer begins with the same limitation.

The partnership also points to a wider role businesses can play when they work with organisations already close to the people who need help. By connecting Cardtonic Cares’ sponsorship with the Irede Foundation’s experience in prosthetic support and child-focused rehabilitation, Hassana got another chance to move through life with more freedom.