5 Days of surgery….46 cases….46 lives changed forever. You can see on the faces of the mothers and fathers, there is HOPE for their child to flourish and live a productive life.

On Saturday, we discharged one of our favorite patients, Yan Lu, who traveled five hours by bus to get to Myitkyina. Her journey began several months prior to our arrival when her teacher told her about a group of volunteers coming to provide free cleft surgeries this month.

Her teacher excused her from class and delayed her exams so that she could travel to Myitkyina for a chance to have surgery. The family had tried on three different occasions to have her lip repaired in the past but she was not selected due to various illnesses.

On the bus ride to the hospital for screening her mother told her “I am full of hope.” Yan’s surgery went flawlessly and today she is headed home to a bright new future!