Monrovia, April 24 -- Born on October 11, 2002, in Gbarnga-Siaquelleh Town during the chaos of Liberia's civil war, Thinking entered a world with no access to electricity, clean water, or medical care.

Her condition - a probable neurological disorder - left her without the use of her legs from the knees down. But her disability wasn't her only burden. In a community where the disabled are often cast aside, she had to fight just to be seen, let alone survive.

But life had something else in store for Thinking - something brighter, unimaginable even.

That light came in the form of a man named Harrison Kpartipa, a native of nearby Gboawuta Town, who now lives in Cedar Rapids, Lowa. While on a mission trip back to Liberia in 2015, Harrison...