‘Ek Nayi Muskaan’ raises awareness about cleft-lip kids
LUCKNOW: Eight-year-old Munmun is now confident of going to school without a mask. Her dreams of playing with friends, living life like any other child of her age is becoming a reality, after a small operation that corrected the cleft lip she was born with.
Her story was captured in a four-minute movie ‘Ek Nayi Muskaan’ that was released on Tuesday. It explains how a girl living in Odaria village of Barabanki suffered as friends called her ‘hotkati’ (severed lips) because of her untreated cleft lip.
The film captures the transformational journey of Munmun, as she receives her life-changing cleft surgery. “Now, no one comments on Munmum after her surgery on September 6 this year,” said Ramawati, the girl’s mother.
The film was released by Mamta Carroll, vice-president and regional director, Asia, Smile Train, and Dr Vaibhav Khanna, project director, Smile Train, Health City Hospital.
“The film aims to give out a message that cleft lip and palate, a congenital deformity, can be corrected by a small and free surgery,” said Caroll. “Through partnership between Smile Train, and our social initiative ‘Ek Nayi Muskaan’, we aim to help raise awareness about cleft care,” said Rajesh Krishnamurthy, business director, consumer products division, The Himalaya Drug Company that is supporting Smile Train India in conducting surgeries for kids. Actor Ali Fazal said, “Children are pivotal to our future, and there should be nothing that deprives them of true happiness.”