Emmanuel is “Like a Celebrity Now”

"I felt weak in the knees upon learning that Emmanuel had a cleft”.

Marissa sat in shock at her six-month ultrasound after the diagnosis. She had five other children — none of whom had a cleft. Questions bubbled and popped in her mind: Why does it have to be Emmanuel? Maybe it happened because I was too stressed at work.

Even with three months to prepare, Marissa broke down upon seeing her baby’s cleft for the first time after birth. So did her mother. Some relatives told her they were embarrassed by the way her son was born. That made her angry.

“He needs acceptance”, she insisted.

To Marissa’s joy, Emmanuel’s siblings adored him from day one. “My eldest and second born were especially caring for him”, she shared.

While getting Emmanuel settled at home, Marissa also had to balance her duties at her local government job. She ultimately decided to bring him into work, setting up his crib, food, and clothes in the office. “I'm really grateful for my clients, who always understood when he was crying”, she said. “They would help me look after him while I was working”.

When Emmanuel turned one year old, Marissa posted a photo of him on social media. A friend replied: Do you follow Smile Train? A quick search revealed there was a Smile Train partner, Bicol Medical Center, in her town!

After delays due to pandemic lockdowns, Marissa scheduled baby Emmanuel for the cleft surgery that would change his life. She still remembers the heavy rain that fell the morning of his first procedure and the crowded bus they took to the hospital. By the time they arrived, the skies had cleared.

“As we were seated waiting for his surgery, he started crying, and I started crying, too. I suddenly thought about how much he had been through already, even in the womb. A lot of storms had passed, a pandemic had broken out. We had made a lot of sacrifices”.

Emmanuel’s cleft lip surgery was done in less than an hour — and it was a complete success! So was his second surgery, on his palate. All of his cleft treatment was completely free for Marissa and the family, thanks to Smile Train.

"Whenever I meet someone who has a cleft-affected child, I encourage them to follow Smile Train so they can schedule surgery. I tell them that Emmanuel had it done at a young age, and they can too”.

Emmanuel is now a fun-loving, confident four-year-old. “He's like a celebrity now”, Marissa laughed. “We joke that he already has three years of experience in local government. The people who saw him when he was a baby are amazed at how much he has grown and what he's gone through”.

"Thank you, Smile Train, for all your help. Ever since Emmanuel was still in my womb, I had been looking for an organisation that would help my baby. Whenever I can, I now refer people to Smile Train”.