Cape Town - Tygerberg Hospital has teamed up with the Smile Foundation to change the lives of children who are born with a cleft lip or palate that results in both medical difficulties and facial differences.
Every year, Tygerberg Hospital treats more than 200 new and follow-up children who are born with a cleft lip or palate that results in both medical difficulties and facial differences.
These children undergo surgeries and assessments, with a specialised service providing a personalised care plan to help them live a normal life.
The Western Cape Department and Health and Wellness aim to promote National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month to enhance understanding of clefts and recognise the contributions of partners.
The Smile Foundation has been supporting children with abnormalities at Tygerberg Hospital for 16 years, funding surgery, recovery, and upgrading hospital infrastructure, and sponsoring medical personnel.
Head of Plastic and Reconstructive at Tygerberg Hospital, Nick Kairinos said: “Without the support of the Smile Foundation, helping these children would have been an uphill battle. They are currently providing additional funding for a significant number of children to be operated on in order to help reduce the backlog of craniofacial cases.
Kairinos said for most parents whose child is born with a craniofacial condition, this can be a confusing and scary diagnosis.
“These abnormalities occur when an unborn foetus has a developmental error due to inherited or environmental factors, or even as a sporadic genetic mutation.
“The diagnosis of craniofacial conditions usually occurs prenatally or shortly after birth. This means that treatments can start immediately for newborns to set them up for improved health outcomes,” Kairinos said.
Okuhle Solani of Dal Josafat, Paarl, is the proud mom of five-year-old Lesedi, who was born with a cleft lip and palate.
Okuhle had difficulty with Lesedi latching to the breast and bottle-feeding as a baby. In February 2020, Lesedi had her first cleft lip operation, which was a huge success, and since then, she has not stopped smiling.
Little Lesedi has come a long way and had a second operation early this year, and Okuhle said, “Lesedi has grown into a lovely, reserved, and amazing little lady who is always ready to share a smile.”
Ten-year-old André Daniels from Elsies River has Crouzon syndrome, also known as craniofacial dysostosis. It is a genetic syndrome in which the seam of the skull fuses abnormally.
André underwent a successful fronto-orbital advancement operation during Smile Week in November 2023, addressing syndromic craniosynostosis, which affects head and face shape.
His mother Catherine said he was resilient despite the difficulties that he has faced.
“He struggled because he was made to feel different. Although he has been through so many challenges, he is a happy child and is very fond of his siblings.’
Cape Argus