Anticipating the arrival of their baby, parents may undergo a profound emotional shift if the child is born with a cleft lip, impacting every facial aspect except vision. This congenital deformity poses challenges to fundamental aspects of life, such as smell, taste, speech, and hearing, significantly affecting the child’s potential for a normal life.
In such circumstances, the support and guidance provided by the team of Cleft Care Mauritius through Smile Train Association becomes valuable. The reassurance offered during a meeting between the M & S foundation and Smile Train Association stemmed from the acknowledgment that surgical interventions, carefully planned and executed, have the potential to significantly enhance the lives of our cleft stars. The M & S foundation embarked on a financial collaboration of MUR 50 K for each patient with Cleft Care Association to discover the perfect clinic for conducting cleft surgeries.
Monthly monitoring, including pre-surgery ENT and ECG reports, is crucial for diverse cleft cases. If a heart defect is identified, the surgeon will determine the waiting period for surgery to allow for heart stabilization. Patients should be medication-free for a week if experiencing a cold or fever. A three-month gap follows the initial cleft lip surgery before the palate procedure. Cleft surgeries involve the placement of tubes, incision scars, and potential dental concerns, all supported by comprehensive postoperative care from from the medical team.
CLEFT STAR, MISS L. (Aged 10)
As part of its continuous effort to financially assist children, the M&S Foundation has embarked Miss L. as its beneficiary. Admitted at Artemis Hospital for a bone graft surgery, our cleft star entered the operation theatre at 09:30 on Saturday 18th of November.
A bone graft surgery involves filling the upper jaw gap with bone to create a unified structure. Timely surgical intervention ensures proper support for permanent teeth, preventing chronic issues if teeth erupt before the graft.
After a delicate surgery of almost two hours, the medical team informed us that the surgical intervention has been successful, and their optimistic expression sparkled everyone.
CLEFT STAR, MASTER R. (Aged 5 months )
At just 5 months old, Master R. faced a bilateral cleft lip. This occurs during the early stage of pregnancy whereby the baby’s lips fail to develop properly, resulting in a split on both sides of the lip. Thus, a surgery was required at the earliest and same was made possible by the collaboration of the M & S foundation with the Artemis hospital. This ensured access to the most caring medical expertise, which led to a transformative odyssey of our cleft star, Master R. and his family.
By 13:41, the healthcare assistants and specialists had worked together to deliver the exceptional care to Master R. Within some hours later, Master R. was shining a little brighter!
CLEFT STAR, MISS R. (Aged 5)
On that same date, Miss R. aged five years old was at the forefront of our thoughts as she bravely confronted the challenges of cleft palate surgery. Unlike cleft lip, which is physically visible at birth, cleft palate is inside the mouth of the baby. Miss R., our resilient cleft star, ventured through the challenging journey of palate reconstruction, supported by financial contribution of the M & S Foundation.
The clock striking 16:12 brought a profound moment of joy, announcing the success of her surgery.
CLEFT STAR, MASTER T
After Miss R.’s successful procedure, there were more good news for the M & S team at 16:13. Master T. had just undergone palate surgery and was now in his bed, looking forward for his palate to heal.
Post such surgery, the parents have been advised to ensure that the palate is safe from any harm for the next three weeks. Even minor injuries during this time can damage the repair. It’s normal to see some drainage from the child’s nose or mouth. They may also have trouble sleeping well for a few days after surgery until the swelling goes down.
Master T. has been the last patient of a series of surgery performed on that day, sponsored by the M&S foundation.