With Maria Every Step of the Way
Stella breastfed her seven other children without problems, but Maria’s clefts caused the milk to come out of her nose and made her choke.
Stella struggled when Maria was born with a cleft lip and palate. She had breastfed her seven other children without problems, but Maria’s clefts caused the milk to come out of her nose and made her choke. Stella quickly grew weary of the stares and discriminatory comments she encountered every time she left the house with Maria.
The family found a ray of hope when a neighbour shared that Maria could receive assistance at FISULAB in nearby Bogotá.
At FISULAB, Stella learned feeding techniques that helped Maria eat without choking. When Stella shared with the team that she felt personally responsible for Maria’s clefts, they explained that one in 700 babies are born with a cleft and that their parents represent a variety of ages and backgrounds. Knowing she wasn’t alone helped Stella’s guilt to disappear.
When Maria reached a healthy weight, she received her Smile Train-supported cleft lip surgery. “I was so happy; I still cry tears of joy just thinking about it”, Stella recalled.
Then, six months later, Maria received her Smile Train-supported cleft palate surgery.
When she was four years old, Maria started orthodontic treatment to align her teeth and gums.
FISULAB’s psychologist helped Maria and Stella though the emotional issues that came up. When Maria started school, she learned strategies to deal with bullying. Maria grew to embrace her differences as what made her unique.
Today, Maria is an energetic and confident seventh-grader.
Maria in Speech Therapy
She’s excelling in Smile Train-supported speech treatment, where she concentrates on improving her P, B, T, D, K, and G sounds.
Maria loves choreographing dances with her sister Valentina and excels in belly dancing. She aspires to be a dance instructor when she grows up and wants to buy a house where her parents can live with her. “My parents have always loved me just the way I am”, she said.
Stella said, “FISULAB is a blessing for my daughter and the family — not only for our cleft surgeries but for all the other dental and psychological treatments we received. I’m extremely thankful to Smile Train and its donors. We would never have been able to afford this treatment without them”.
Smile Train is rapidly expanding comprehensive cleft treatment programmes around like free orthodontics, psychiatric support, and speech therapy around the world so children like Maria can thrive and reach their full potential. But we can't do it without you. please make a gift now.