The road to a brighter future
Ramata’s journey through comprehensive care
Ramata was born in Ghana with a cleft lip and palate. Her journey with Operation Smile has spanned many years and countless miles. Beneath her new smile there’s a complex journey of care and support from the team at Operation Smile Ghana.
1. Awareness campaign
Operation Smile volunteers travel to remote regions to find patients living with cleft conditions and tackle stigma. Ramata’s mum Mariana, met one of these volunteers, and was put in touch with Clement, Operation Smile Ghana’s Patient Coordinator. Clement told her that surgery for Ramata was free and he’s been by their side supporting them ever since.
2. Nutritional support
When Ramata met the team in Ghana, she was small for her age and malnourished, struggling to feed because of her cleft. Ill health had already delayed her path to surgery. The nutrition team gave her food supplements and tips for Mariana to help her daughter grow strong and healthy for surgery.
3. Cleft lip surgery
Ramata had surgery to repair her cleft lip when she was four years old. Malaria had delayed her first chance for surgery with Operation Smile, but thankfully at the next surgical programme, she was given the all-clear. When Mariana saw her daughter’s new smile for the first time, she was overjoyed.
4. Cleft palate surgery
Ramata was teased at school because her cleft palate meant she struggled to speak clearly. After her lip had healed, she returned to Operation Smile Ghana to have her palate repaired. Palate surgery closes the gap in the roof of the mouth and is the first stage in helping a child to eat, breathe and speak more easily.
5. Speech therapy
Palate surgery reduces the need for speech therapy, but many children will still need to re-learn how to form the sounds needed for speech. Ramata has been working with Operation Smile Ghana’s mobile speech therapy team every month. Their mobile clinic reaches patients in remote areas who may otherwise have missed out.
6. Dentistry and orthodontics
Children with cleft conditions often have oral health challenges and benefit from dental care to keep their mouths healthy, before and after surgery. Operation Smile Ghana’s ‘Smile Restoration Programme’ has team of dentists and orthodontists on hand to help, and Ramata has recently been fitted with braces to improve the alignment of her teeth.
