Posts from 2019
Our first new smile
Apartado, Colombia
Manuel is an energetic 7 month old boy. He has a 2 year old sister that does not have a cleft. His parents heard about Rotaplast from Alexandra, a speech therapist with the non-profit Fundauniban. M... Read More »
Chittagong, Bangladesh 2016 – Shiru
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Shiru is the oldest among her three brothers and two sisters. Thirteen years ago, at age nine, she was home alone cooking on an open fire. She got too close and her clothing caught fire. Neighbors came to ... Read More »
“We will fix that.”
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
Lead Anesthesiologist Harmeet Bhullar, takes a long look at 18 year-old Ye Htet Paing’s cleft lip and palate and says, “We will fix that.” The broadest smile comes across his face. Even t... Read More »
Meet Kokoya
Arusha, Tanzania
Kokoya is from the southern part of the Maasai village of Kisimiti. She is 20 years old and has lived with a uni-lateral cleft lip her entire life. She is married with two children ages 4 and 1 ½. Cur... Read More »
Meet Jons T
Pereira, Colombia
We had a full schedule of 9 procedures today. In addition to cleft lip and palate repairs, the surgeons performed an ear reconstruction, a rhinoplasty and a mandible setback. Jons T is an adorable 21-month... Read More »
Meet Lian
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Three-month-old Lian and his mom rode in a van filled with over 30 people to be with us on clinic day. Lian’s mom Gloria was beyond happy when she found out that Lian was chosen for surgery for his c... Read More »
Meet David
Guatemala City, Guatemala
One-year-old David and his mom Dina rode two hours in a bus to be with us on clinic day where everyone fell in love with his adorable personality. Read More »
Meet Durjo
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Durjo, 8 years old was born premature. At 7 days old, he was in a hospital nursery along with two other infants, an oxygen mask covering each little face. One day, the electricity went out w... Read More »
Meet Fariha
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Fariha is a lovely energetic 4-year-old little girl. Her young life took a dramatic turn when she was a year old. Like many toddlers learning to walk, Fariha was placed in a baby walker. As her litt... Read More »
Meet Shiru
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Shiru, 22 stands with her mother in the pre-op ward. One day when Shiru was 15, she returned home from school and began to cook. She was alone at the time. In seconds, kerosene explode... Read More »
Meet Baby Benetta
Monrovia, Liberia
Benetta Johnson was born with a cleft lip 9 months ago. Her mom left her stranded at the hospital the day she was born because she was ashamed of her. For days the hospital staff searched for her mom but Read More »
Meet Sangeetha
Karaikal, India
Little Sangeetha came to us one afternoon during a walk in clinic. Sangeetha fit all the criteria for a priority case; cleft lip, less than six years old. By getting the surgery done this young, she’ll g... Read More »
Meet Luis Carlos
Cumana, Venezuela
Meet young Luis Carlos. Just seven days ago, his mother Vizcaino delivered a still-born baby girl. Despite her own medical needs and emotional heartbreak, she is determined to get her only son Luis to Cuma... Read More »
Meet Marina
Retalhuleu, Guatemala
In an earlier blog entry I introduced you to Marina. Marina stood out from the crowd because of her beautiful vibrant dress. Marina, age 7 and her father Rolando, age 29 traveled over 9 hours by bus to arr... Read More »
Meet Ivana
Pereira, Colombia
IVANA BEFORE Ivana's mother, Johana heard that our Rotaplast mission was in Pereira from a friend. She did not have money for the bus fare, and she missed our opening clinic. Johana arrived at the hosp... Read More »
Meet Livensi
La Romana, Dominican Republic
It's fitting that 5 year-old Livensi is patient #007. With his ready smile, intense eyes, and playful nature, our little James Bond Jr. entranced our group; we swooned over him from the beginning. This... Read More »
Meet Baby Jayaram
Nagamangala, India
This is the story of the 5-month-old baby boy of Shashikala, the baby with no name. I first saw this family during the clinic where my job was to photograph each patient. The mother was crying uncontrollab... Read More »
Meet Mennah
Sohag, Egypt
In Egypt, the importance of a beautiful image is not a superficial one; particularly for girls. In many of the local villages, marriages are agreed upon during adolescence.&... Read More »
Meet Eladia and Luis
Oaxaca, Mexico
When Eladia brought her son Luis into the pre-op clinic, she caught the attention of the staff because she, too, had a cleft lip and palate. Three-year old Luis’ cleft lip had been treated two years by a... Read More »
Meet Bernadette
Bago City, Philippines
It seemed that everyone who crossed her path fell in love with her, including Pediatric Nurse Nan Madden. It was evident that this little girl carried a beautiful spirit and energy. She is 6 years o... Read More »
Latest From Around The World
Caltech Women’s Clu...
Pasadena, California
Pictured Above: Marilyn Diaz (middle), seated just like Einstein, in the library with fellow CHATs at the Mt. Wilson Observatory Special thanks author/interviewer Gloria Mullendore and the Caltech Women&#... Read More »
Cebu City Day 10 – ...
Cebu City, Philippines
The final day of our Rotaplast Mission is the culmination of the incredible dedication and work by our team over the last nine days, with 69 children receiving new smiles and changed lives! On this day o... Read More »