His smile changed my smile
Through early fears and a global pandemic, Maria persevered to get her son Sebastian the best possible care for his cleft condition.
No longer alone
Like most first-time parents, María was prepared for the inevitable challenges of raising her baby boy. But she had never anticipated the sudden fear for his future happiness, when a prenatal scan detected he would be born with a cleft condition.
Her worries began to ease, as the doctor explained the surgery that would help her son to live the life María had hoped for. She was determined to do everything she could to prepare for her baby’s arrival and his ongoing care.
It was during this research that she discovered Operation Smile Mexico. As soon as she met their caring team of local volunteers, María knew she wasn’t alone. She felt she could trust them to treat her future son’s cleft condition and provide the comprehensive care he would need after surgery.
I was never able to breastfeed Sebastian… Operation Smile gave us some special feeding bottles.
Maria, Sebastian’s mum
Instant support
At just 10 days old, baby Sebastian met the Operation Smile team for the first time as his mum sought help with feeding him.
“I was never able to breastfeed Sebastian,” María explains. “In the hospital he was fed with a syringe, then Operation Smile gave us some special feeding bottles.”
In the following months, mum and baby continued to receive support at regular dental and speech therapy appointments. Everything was on course for Sebastian to have surgery to repair his cleft lip in 2020.
Hope delayed
María’s world was rocked again when the coronavirus pandemic hit her business and Sebastian’s planned surgery was cancelled. But this didn’t mean the end of his care. Online video calls kept communication open and disruption to a minimum. Sebastian excelled in his speech therapy sessions.
“They were very helpful,” María remembers. “He already knew when it was Zoom time. He did everything, he let himself go.”
María was learning too. She attended Operation Smile’s education course for parents, where volunteers guided her in how to keep Sebastian healthy while he waited for surgery. María’s care and dedication gave her son the best possible chance of being ready for the operation.
“He was completely happy”
After almost a year of waiting, the moment was finally here. Sebastian was eligible for surgery. María trusted the surgical team, but still had mixed feelings as she carried her ‘everything’ in her arms and gently placed him in their hands. Before long, all her worries had melted away.
“Seeing Sebastian after surgery there was such happiness,” she says. “It was a very radical change, because he was completely happy. It was a new little face, a new smile.”
Sebastian has healed well and loves playing with his friends. He enjoys eating a more varied diet and continues to grow into a happy, healthy boy. María feels ready for a future she had always dreamed of with her son: “His smile changed my smile,” she says.
Sebastian has since had successful cleft palate surgery, and receives ongoing speech therapy and dental care. He and his mum have also made lasting friendships with other parents and patients.
“With Operation Smile, we’re always by the side of incredible people and volunteers,” María reflects. “They give everything so that we are well.”
Watch Sebastian and Maria’s story
