This fund will provide comprehensive cleft care for 10 underserved children with cleft lip/palate in MENA region during our Noveber 2022 mission to Lebanon. 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, and poverty. Funds will help provide medicines, surgical care, and COVID-19 testing.
Access to specialized cleft care in the Levant region is limited and many families have no way of getting their children the help they need. Without treatment, children born with cleft must live with a physical disability and often experience difficulty feeding properly, suffer poor physical health, and are bullied in their communities. These consequences are devastating for families living at the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, including the millions of refugees in Lebanon.
This project will enable our teams to provide free comprehensive cleft care for 10 of the patients waiting for us in November 2022. The average cost per patient Is $1,500. We typically provide surgeries for 30 patients during this trip and hope to raise funds for 10 patients in this campaign. Other funding will come from individuals and sponsors.
Comprehensive cleft care transforms the lives children born with cleft and gives them a new chance at full, productive lives. Our patients are able to thrive, 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 and social support. GSF will share patient stories and photos via GlobalGiving about the life-changing care that your generosity makes possible through this Fund.
