When 24-year-old Alfredo entered the pre-op clinic on Friday I could vividly remember the excitement in his eyes when the doctors told him they could operate. Alfredo had a cleft lip fixed on a previous Rotaplast mission, but today he was here for a cleft palate. I watched as Alfredo prepared for his surgery, a smile fixed upon his face the entire time as he braved his nerves and worries. After living with this condition for 24 years, the palate was fixed in a little under 2 hours.
When Alfredo woke up from the anesthetic it was incredible to see the underlying peaceful emotion written on his face – like a moment frozen in time. Alfredo asked to see his Mom and it seemed that this was what convinced him, that this was happening, that this was real. Rotaplast came to his rescue, not once, but twice. Alfredo was a new man and as happy as can be.