Surgery to give scrap collector reason to smile
Dube didn’t know cleft lip could be corrected
Norman Dube, 49, had no clue about the existence of reconstructive surgery that could help repair a facial deformity he was born with, until a few weeks ago.
Dube, who was born with a cleft lip, a congenital birth defect that causes facial deformities and other complications, is one of the people a Gauteng-based organisation is helping to get a second chance at a smile.
Yesterday Dube, who makes a living by recycling scrap metal in Johannesburg, said he didn’t even know what the condition was called.
Dube’s upper lip is split at the middle, exposing his gums and teeth.
He also struggles to speak clearly.
“I still don’t understand what it is. My mother only told me that I was born with it,” he said.
Dube, who was born in Mpumalanga, said growing up, both his parents were unemployed, which made the situation difficult.
His family depended on subsistence farming, while access to basic things such as education was limited.
“I never went to school because there was no money.”
Dube said as a youngster people would make fun of the way he looks.
“I realised that I did not look like other people. People react differently to the way I look. Some people even laugh but I ignore them because this is the way I was born and there is nothing I can do.”
Fortunately, Dube now knows what his condition is called, and that something can be done to help him. He said he was looking forward to the surgery.
“I just want to look like everyone else and enjoy life,” he said.
Joy Makhubela, the founder of the Ipope O Tshege Foundation which has previously helped 42 people, said there were many people with cleft lip and palate deformities who grow into adulthood without getting surgery.
Makhubela’s organisation identifies patients and refers them to facilities where they are assessed before getting the reconstructive surgery done.
She said though the condition does not
‘‘ People react differently to the way I look. Some people even laugh
always result in serious illnesses, people like Dube who never get surgery, struggle with acceptance and experience marginalisation from society.
Makhubela said it was worse for those who come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds as they have limited access to information and grow up without getting help.
“I am glad that the surgery is being made available for babies. But other people have been forgotten,” she said.
Makhubela, who was also born with the condition but got surgery as a child, said the operation helped to restore people’s confidence.
“Being disfigured on the face is the most painful thing. But my take is that it is never too late to get help.”