surgical mission pictures and stories
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This little boy came to us with a cleft lip which we repaired. This is him and his mother the first day post-op. He also has a cleft palate. Hopefully we will see him again next year for this repair that will allow him to eat and speak properly.
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This little girl was born with only rudimentary fingers that were fused during development. We separated the ones we could and gave her a useful hand. Next year, perhaps, if they return, we can do something for her right hand.
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This little boy came to us in 2002 and we repaired his cleft lip. Now you can't even see the scar. Now he returns for his cleft palate repair. Hopefully he won't have to return again.
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We saw this little child for the first time in 2003. We repaired her bilateral cleft lip and urged the mother to bring her back next year for the palate repair.
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All of the children in this family have had cleft lips and palates. They needed palate revisions to be able to speak better. How could you only help one of these children? Dr. Steven Warnock (Salt Lake City, UT) operated on them all. How grateful the mother was!
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This little girl has a primary cleft lip. The palate is whole. One trip to see us will make her like a normal child. By the way, these children don't like warm water for their baths. They are used to harsh conditions and few baths in cold water.
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Who could resist a smile on a crooked face? Dr. Warnock repaired this child's very serious cleft lip deformity. Hopefully we'll see her next year for the palate repair.
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This is Kenia. She had had cleft lip and palate repairs on previous trips. She could not say her name properly because she could not pronounce the letter "K". Dr. Charles Stewart (Provo, Utah) created a pharyngeal flap. Kenia returned for a visit just three days post-op to show us she could say "K". We were thrilled. So were she and her mother!
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We first saw Isaias in 2001. He had been bitten by an insect and the skin had become infected. It had eaten away his entire nose. All he had was a large hole in the middle of his face. He would not look up and he kept hidden under a baseball cap. Dr. Hirsche created a small nose and two nostrils. Subsequently Dr. Steven Warnock performed more surgery and now Isaias has a nose. Still more work is needed. But the change in Isaias' demeanor is remarkable. He smiles. He looks you in the eyes. He is happy and appreciative.
 
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We first met Tania in 2001. She had what is called a bifid nose. We repaired it and she returned the next year for further refinement. This year (2003) she came to visit and to thank us for her new nose and her new life. There's no more teasing at school. No further repair is needed. We hope she has a happy life and comes back to visit each time we are in Mexico.
Amador lives in Mexico. He is 57 years old and has never had his cleft palate closed. He cannot speak well enough to be understood. When he ate or drank, food or water came out through his nose.
Well, not any more. Amador came to us and we repaired his cleft palate and also revised his lip. The day after surgery, he could speak better than he had his whole life.
 
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Rosalinda was born with Apert's Syndrome. She has many deformities including a cleft palate which we repaired. Her fingers and toes are fused so that she cannot hold a pencil. The children make fun of her at school. We separated her fingers and did skin grafts. Now Rosalinda says kids will like her better at school because she can do what they can.
Juana was born with a defect in her skull that caused a huge deformity. She hid in her home for 15 years and didn't go to school. She couldn't read or write.
Three surgeries repaired the defect and gave her a beautiful face and a way to lead a normal life. Now she's heard the words "No more surgery. You are perfect."
 
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