Quang’s Story: The Call That Helped His Family Find Cleft Care

Quang’s parents had already spent years building a future for their family in rural Vietnam. Dung and Quy live on land leased from the commune and pay their yearly rent with one ton of rice from the paddies they farm. Over 21 years of marriage, they worked hard to support their children’s education, and their oldest daughter is now studying at the Academy of Journalism and Communication. Then they learned they were expecting their youngest child: a boy.

A Pregnancy That Brought New Questions

At 18 weeks, an ultrasound revealed that the baby would be born with a cleft. Dung remembers how frightening that moment felt.

“Honestly, I was really confused and anxious”, she said.

No one in their family or community had seen a cleft before, and Dung did not even have a smartphone to search for information on her own.  

What she heard from doctors only made things harder.

“The doctor told me, ‘Just terminate it. Raising this child will be very difficult’”.

Then, after Quang was born, she heard something else she has never forgotten:

“Even when I gave birth, the doctor said, ‘Why did you even give birth?’ At that time, I was so overwhelmed”.

Searching for Help After Quang Was Born

Quang was born at a provincial maternity hospital in Nam Định. After delivery, his parents faced a challenge no one had prepared them for: how to feed a baby with a cleft. Dung said no one taught her what to do, so she figured it out herself, feeding him with a spoon. For three months and 20 days, she carried him in her arms constantly while waiting and hoping for help. His older sisters helped care for him after school, and the family’s isolated home gave them space to focus on him.

Then came the phone call that changed everything.

Dung’s younger brother learned of another child with the same condition and passed along a phone number. Dung called again and again until he got through. Soon, the family was preparing to travel to Ha Dong General Hospital, a Smile Train partner in Hanoi, Vietnam, where Quang could receive the care he needed.

The Call That Led to Care

At Ha Dong General Hospital, things were different. Quang’s family found a team ready to help, and he soon received free, life-changing cleft surgery. Dung still remembers how they felt that day:

“We were so happy, so grateful to the doctors. We could only say thank you”.

Quy remembers it just as clearly:

We were smiling all day.

Today, Quang is energetic, playful, and eager to learn. His mother says, “He studies at home all day long. He just keeps learning, writing, and...” His teacher says he is mischievous but still ranks second in his class. During the interview, Quang practised letters, read aloud, and proudly wrote the word “smile.” His father also shared that Quang has said he wants to be a doctor one day.  

Why Donor Support Matters

Quang’s story is a reminder that children with clefts and their families should be met with support, information, and timely access to treatment, not fear or stigma. It is also a reminder that timely cleft care can change the course of a child’s life.

That is why Smile Train supports local medical professionals who provide cleft care in their own communities. By helping expand access to surgery and follow-up care, Smile Train makes it possible for more children like Quang to get the treatment they need closer to home.