This project will provide cleft surgery for 10 children in Ecuador born with cleft lip/palate in September 2022. All care is provided free of charge so that our patients can overcome the tremendous burden of living with untreated cleft including social stigma, poor health, malnutrition, & poverty. Funds will help provide medicines, surgical care, & COVID-19 testing. Cleft surgery is the first step for our patients to have healthy lives & access education, employment, & financial stability.
Cleft is one of the most common birth defects in the world, but in resource-limited areas of Ecuador children born with cleft have no way of getting the care they urgently need. Living with a physical disability like untreated cleft lip/palate can be devastating: infants have higher mortality rates, children are hidden at home due to bullying, & families struggle financially.
This project will enable the GSF team of volunteer surgeons and other medical professionals to provide free comprehensive cleft care to patients in September 2022, including surgical procedures, dental care, & feeding assistance for parents of infants born with cleft. Our patients will receive the care they need to help them overcome the negative effects of living with a physical disability & be able to grow and thrive. Donations have an immediate & direct impact to help our patients.
Comprehensive cleft care transforms the lives children born with cleft and gives them a new chance at full, productive lives. Our patients have better health, can attend school, and integrate into their communities. Without the burden of caring for a child isolated at home, their families are better able to gain financial stability & find social support. GSF will share patient stories & photos via GlobalGiving about the life-changing care that your generosity makes possible through this project.
