A Pact for Georgina

Georgina was born with a cleft lip in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. Her parents, Guerlinda and Brunel, said that Georgina’s cleft was a shock, but they instantly loved and accepted their infant daughter.

On the way home from the hospital, the couple overheard whispers and received prolonged stares from everyone they encountered. “Would Georgina have to put up with this her entire life?” they thought. The couple decided to make a pact that day to find a way to give their daughter a childhood free from discrimination.

During her search for a solution, Guerlinda felt defeated when she met a woman who had paid $1,100 for her son’s cleft surgery. “We were both unemployed and had no steady monthly income. During my pregnancy we were unable to even raise $29 for an ultrasound,” she said.

When hope for carrying out their pact was at the lowest point, Guerlinda and Brunel heard a Smile Train ad on the radio. The two were overjoyed when the ad said that free cleft repair surgery was available at Smile Train partner Hôpital Universitaire Justinien. They called the phone number to book an appointment for Georgina the same day.

“This surgery is so important for us. I am so proud of my beautiful daughter and don’t want to hide her from people ever again; I will be so proud to show her off,” Guerlinda said.

Guerlinda and Brunel personally thank Smile Train’s local doctors for providing free cleft surgery for their daughter. The two are overjoyed that they finally achieved their pact of providing a bright new future for Georgina.

Portions of text written by Robin Wyatt and all images © Robin Wyatt Vision: robinwyatt.org/photography | robin@robinwyatt.org.