Misk Didn’t Have Time to Wait
"To see her smile and to know that she is healthy is the greatest gift we could ever ask for”
Misk's cleft shocked Nada and Ahmed when they held her for the first time. The ultrasound had missed it.
Shock turned to dread as Misk’s cleft caused her to choke on Nada’s milk. "The first few months were really hard" she said. "I was so worried about Misk and her health. I didn't know what to do or where to turn for help".
Misk’s doctors told the couple that their daughter’s cleft could be healed with surgery, but no one in their family had ever had surgery before. They worried about the risks and the potential negative consequences, but they couldn’t think about them too deeply over their baby screaming with hunger and wasting away before them.
Clearly, the biggest risk was to do nothing.
Their doctors referred them to Dar Al-Shefaa, their local Smile Train partner hospital. Nada and Ahmed were ecstatic to learn that the surgery would be free, but that didn’t help calm their nerves when the big day arrived. They fidgeted impatiently in the waiting room, praying that everything would go well.
When they finally saw Misk being wheeled out of the OR, they couldn’t contain their joy.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her for the first time after the surgery", Nada said. "She looked like a new baby. I felt like I just gave birth!"
For Ahmed, the change was equally profound. "I was amazed at how much of a difference the surgery made", he said. "I knew that Misk’s life would be so much better from that point on".
And it was. After the surgery, Misk finally started to feed normally and soon reached a healthy weight.
Her successful surgery was a turning point for the whole family, and they are endlessly grateful for the support they received from Smile Train’s donors.
"I hope that Misk will grow up to be a strong, healthy, and confident girl", Nada says. "And I know that with the constant help of Smile Train, she will have every opportunity to do that".
For Ahmed, the experience has been a lesson in the power of perseverance. "We didn't know what to expect when we first learned about Misk's condition, but we never gave up hope, and now we have a healthy daughter who we love more than anything in the world".
As Nada says, "To see her smile and to know that she is healthy is the greatest gift we could ever ask for".
Thanks to your support, millions of children — and parents — can dream of a better future.
