LWB’s Medical Program first met Alejandra in early 2011 when her orphanage in Guizhou Province asked us to help provide for her medical care. Alejandra was born with a severe facial cleft and needed cleft surgery, as well as another surgery for a painful and complicated hernia. At four years old she had her hernia surgery first.
Alejandra before her cleft lip surgery…
A facial cleft — a gap in the soft tissue, bone, or both that occurs during fetal development that involves not only the mouth and nose but also affects the rest of the face of a newborn — is extremely rare. The care involved to ensure the baby learns to suck and swallow without aspirating the fluid into their tiny lungs requires patience and skill. Fortunately, LWB’s Anhui Cleft Healing Home (ACHH) provided the perfect combination of loving care and skilled caregiving needed by one very special baby named Gavin. Here’s the story of how Gavin went from being a baby with some big health issues to the grinning, happy boy you see here!
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