The Sky is the Limit for Durva

Poonam’s entire family rejoiced at the news of her pregnancy. She and Nilesh already had one daughter — now Anvisha would have a little sister to play with!

Amid all the excitement, the ultrasound delivered a shock: The new baby girl, Durva, would have a cleft. Poonam and Nilesh suddenly found themselves adrift. Their family had no history of clefts. They had no idea how to care for a baby who had one and no one to ask for advice.

But it didn’t matter. They had made up their minds: “Nothing would stop us from giving her the best cleft treatment possible”, Poonam said.

Durva’s birth went smoothly, and the family welcomed her into the world with joy. Right away, they took her to a well-regarded local hospital seeking guidance on how to proceed with her care, but were given little information other than to seek a cleft surgeon.

At home, they spent a challenging few weeks learning the best feeding methods for Durva.

“We didn’t let ourselves be overcome with anxiety, though at times we felt overwhelmed and helpless seeing our baby struggle to feed”, Poonam reflected. “We just continued to be persistent and believe we’d find answers”.

Some neighbours were supportive, but others made hurtful remarks about her cleft, so they didn’t take her out much. On one of the rare occasions they did take Durva out of the house, however, a kind family approached them. Visit Dr Bharati Khandekar at Godrej Memorial Hospital, they suggested. Perhaps she can help.

Poonam and Nilesh wasted no time in setting up an appointment. Right from the start, Dr Bharati proved an invaluable partner, laying out a meticulous roadmap for Durva’s cleft care and scheduling her for surgery.

Godrej also turned out to be a local Smile Train partner — which meant that Durva’s cleft surgery, as well as all the other cleft care she would ever need, would be 100 % free for the family!

The day of Durva’s cleft surgery, Poonam and Nilesh found themselves overcome with nerves. But Dr Bharati and her team reassured them, offering “clarity and positivity at every step”.

Poonam will always remember the moment Durva emerged from surgery. “It was very emotional for us all”, she said. “We were so happy and relieved to see the amazing results”.

So were their family and friends. Even some of the neighbours — those who had made disparaging remarks — changed their tune upon seeing Durva’s new smile.

She is now in Year Two. Her teachers are full of praise for her spirit and enthusiasm. At home, she delights with her singing, dancing, and playfulness. “She is such a big chatterbox that she is always keeping the family entertained!” Poonam says.

“We are confident that she will continue to do well. She can be whatever she chooses to be”, she added proudly.

“Our experience with Smile Train at the Godrej Memorial Hospital was life changing. We cannot thank our supporters at Smile Train enough. It is a noble deed, and we are forever grateful”.