Behind a smile
The journey to a brand new life
Every child’s cleft care journey is different – but with the support of our medical volunteers and specialists, each path leads them to a happy, healthier future.
Cleft surgery transforms lives, but for many children with cleft conditions, there’s a complex package of care needed to make sure they’re strong enough for surgery and recovery.
Here we meet some of the experts who support our patients – and their families – on the path to their life-changing surgery.
1. Diagnosis
In an ideal world, a baby born with a cleft will have corrective surgery before their first birthday. This prevents them from experiencing further health complications and the stigma of an untreated cleft condition.
Luciana’s mother Nury, was so scared when her daughter’s cleft was discovered during a prenatal ultrasound, she refused to acknowledge it was real. Thankfully, when Luciana was born, the family were immediately referred to the Operation Smile cleft centre in Bogotá.
2. Raising awareness – reducing stigma
Many patients live in remote areas – some have never seen a cleft before and often aren’t aware that treatment is possible. So patient coordinators and community volunteers travel to remote areas to challenge misconceptions and register new patients for future surgical programmes.
3. Nutritional support
The moment a child is born with a cleft, proper nutrition is critical to their survival. Children with cleft conditions often struggle to feed, so our nutritionists support parents with feeding, educate families about nutrition and provide emergency therapeutic foods to tackle malnutrition.
4. Speech therapy and audiology
Around half of children born with a cleft palate will need help with their speech. Before their first surgery, speech therapists help parents with feeding techniques and early language stimulation. A cleft palate can affect the middle ear too, so audiologists are also on hand to help with hearing problems.
5. Child life therapy
In many parts of the world people fear doctors and surgery because of misinformation and superstition. Parents are often anxious about their children’s treatment. Child life therapists work with families to help them understand what will happen during treatment. They also use play therapy to help children feel more at ease.
6. Cleft lip surgery
Surgery to repair a cleft lip can take as little as 45 minutes. It’s the long-awaited moment when a child gets their new smile. Although some patients will need further surgery and follow up care in the future, the joy of seeing a new smile for the first time is a memorable moment for everyone involved. Luciana’s mother Nury cried when she saw her daughter for the first time – they were tears of relief and happiness.
