Jubilation as little ones receive gift of a new smile
This partnership has restored people’s smiles and we are so grateful as we cannot afford to deliver some services alone
The mothers of children who received life-changing surgery at the weekend are overjoyed and relieved that their little ones will soon face the world without fear of being ridiculed because of their looks.
The children operated on at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha ranged from babies to those of schoolgoing age.
The initiative was part of a long-running collaboration between the provincial health department and Operation Smile SA.
A team of medical volunteers worked tirelessly alongside the department’s staff to transform the lives of 23 children and one adult through a surgical procedure that takes only 45 minutes but requires great skill.
A cleft lip or cleft palate is the fourth most common birth defect. It occurs when a baby’s mouth does not form properly during the mother’s pregnancy.
Ahlumile Salukazana, 7, travelled more than three hours from Matatiele to Mthatha with his grandmother, Malihlwa.
They arrived on Thursday for the operation, which was done on Saturday.
A beaming Malihlwa told the Dispatch team of her relief that her grandson’s birth defect had been fixed.
“He could not speak well and words were not coming out of his mouth properly. But he had learnt to live with it and at school is very clever.
“The other children had started teasing him and I was worried about his future,” the happy grandmother said.
Kholeka Mangwenyana, 37, of Elliotdale, gave birth at the hospital to her son Asive five months ago.
Doctors picked up his cleft condition and stayed in contact with his mother.
“It didn’t seem painful to him but I was concerned about his future life because society can be so cruel. I am very grateful to all the doctors and nurses who took care of him.”
Operation Smile SA’S executive director, Sarah Scarth, said she was overjoyed to be able to return to the Eastern Cape for the first time after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are so pleased to be invited by the Eastern Cape department of health and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital to support them in assisting children in the Eastern Cape with cleft conditions.
“Without surgery, these children face enormous health, developmental and psychological challenges.”
The team of 20 Operation Smile volunteers included plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, paediatricians, nurses, dentists, speech therapists and a psychosocial specialist who transferred important skills through their partnership with the medical staff at the academic hospital.
The Mandela hospital staff who were part of the initiative included three specialist anaesthesiologists, three registrars from the plastic surgery unit and one medical officer from paediatric surgery.
The patients were taken through a screening process on Friday, with operations taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth said she was over the moon about the partnership that changed lives.
“So many people, children and adults, have already benefited from this great partnership, which we hope will continue for years to come.
“This partnership has restored people’s smiles and we are so grateful as we cannot afford to deliver some services alone.
“We only have one plastic surgeon in the western part of the Eastern Cape and this is very specialised surgery.
“We appreciate the work done by the doctors at this very important institution.”