Saving a child from a life of shame
When Elisa was born, her parents, Sidonie and Jean, were overcome by sadness – their daughter had been born with a cleft lip and cleft palate, and they believed this…
Patient Stories
Ghana
The road to Ramata’s smile
While Ghana offers some of Africa’s most beautiful landscapes, it also suffers from a lack of adequate infrastructure, health care services and economic opportunities, resulting in some of the world’s…
Ethiopia
The solution
Her name means “solution.” The moment Meheftehe was born, she was in desperate need of just that. Meheftehe suffered from a severe facial cleft which extended from her right eye…
Mexico
A newfound confidence
As Senaida sat next to her son Virgilio, she couldn’t help but smile widely when she looked at him. Since 21-year-old Virgilio’s severe bilateral cleft lip was repaired during Operation…
Vietnam
A second chance to smile
Energetic and talkative, Bui loved preschool. As he bounced around the playground in his rural Vietnamese community, the 3-year-old paid no mind to his cleft lip while playing ball games…
Nicaragua
When all seems lost, hope appears
Shocked and heartbroken when her baby Valeska was born with a cleft lip, Zorida received more discouraging news within the first moments of her daughter’s life. No sooner than learning…
Rwanda
Enok’s path
Enok remembers being jeered, mocked, chased by packs of children and having people recoil in disgust at his cleft lip. While his memories echo the stories of thousands of Operation…
Ethiopia
Overcoming her obstacles
Editor’s Note: As we acknowledge the emergent situation unfolding in Ethiopia, we wish for the safety and well-being of everyone in the country and hope that the situation will soon…