Steven is a 4 years old boy from Sariaya Quezon Province. Steven’s mother has a friend from another hospital who told her that that in Manila Rizal Medical Center Alliance for Smiles will provide the surgeries of cleft and palate. They referred to CPT Reggie from Makati Gems Rotary who helped him to arrange their trip. They traveled by bus almost 200 km. In Steven’s family isn’t any report of cleft lip or palate in the past he is the first one. Her mother didn’t know about his diagnosis until he born. As Steven grew, his health problem increased.

The lead nurse Myrna Sullivan explains briefly his case. “Steven is the patient number is 7 and he has the number 7 cleft, it goes into his cheek. Dr. Ahmed is repairing the no.7 cleft by attaching the muscle in the cheek, that would give him normal functional cheek, the cheek will move normally and look better. Next, the doctor attaches the muscles around his eyes so that his eyelid is tightly closed and that is also part of the cleft. The muscle is not fixed where it should be, so it will be not able to close its eyes and damage it because it cannot close it. This transformation will solve many problems. To the future is still recommended the next surgery”.

Our medical team assisted by a local team, repaired cleft no.7 and palatoplasty, during six hours of surgery. The following day this beautiful boy celebrated his 4th birthday and we prepared him for a surprise. When we asked his mother, what she would refer to our medical team an all sponsors, simply and cordially with tears of joy in her eyes, she said Thank you!

We wish Steven and his family good luck and for his mother, we wish a healthy child who they are expecting in January.