A 3-month-old baby has undergone cleft lip repair surgery at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital as part of Smile Week, an initiative of the Smile Foundation.
Farai Mugobogobo of Soshanguve, mother of baby Junior, said his quality of life was set to improve as she was now able to feed him.
She said that she had accepted that her child was born with a cleft lip and had loved him just the way he was. But it had hurt her when some members of the community stigmatised her child’s looks.
“Accepting that you have given birth to a child with a cleft lip is not easy at first; for some it takes time, but for me, the bond started immediately after birth,” she said.
Mugobogobo said that she was delighted at the difference the operation would make to her baby’s life.
“I am overwhelmed with love and excitement; I would like to express my gratitude to both Dr George Mukhari hospital and the Smile Foundation for bringing a smile to my child’s face,” she said.
Another little warrior, Matlhatsi, was born with a lateral cleft lip, a rare congenital anomaly.
Anomalies like these make a child’s mouth unnaturally large and any facial expression more noticeable.
This type of facial cleft affects the soft tissues and underlying skeletal structures of the face and can in some instances be bilateral, affecting both sides of the face symmetrically.
Matlhatsi’s mother said that she was hopeful that her son will have a normal life and could not wait to see her son’s new face with a smile.
Tarri Parfitt, CEO of Smile Foundation, said that all children should be able to feel loved and understood growing up.
“Sadly, there are still many who due to facial anomalies or burn injuries and a lack of financial resources will never fully experience the freedom and joy that acceptance brings,” she said.
Parfitt added that things were changing for the better through the selfless dedication of the surgeons, medical support teams, sponsors such as Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels and their listeners, and everyone who has ever offered their time and talent throughout their campaign.
“Last year in July, we raised an amount of R2 million during the surgical marathons on Mandela Day while broadcasting live outside the Dr George Mukhari hospital and the funds raised went towards providing surgeries to 80 children with facial abnormalities across the country,” she added.
Pretoria News