Four-year-old Mekielawet’s smile needs no introduction. Her energy illuminates her hillside home in Ethiopia, where she lives with her mom, dad and twin sister.

Mekielawet’s parents were overjoyed when they found out they would be having twins! But when the babies were born, one of their daughters was immediately rushed to intensive care. Despite the family’s questions, no one in the delivery room breathed a word about her condition.

When her parents were finally informed about their daughter’s cleft, they both cried – uncertain of what the future would hold for their little girl. Luckily, a family member heard the news and told them not to worry: “There is a place that will help repair this.” That’s when they learned about Ethiopia’s only comprehensive cleft care centre, Yekatit 12.

The magic of what Yekatit 12 Hospital has accomplished, in partnership with Mekielawet and her parents, extends far beyond a surgical repair.

Because of her cleft, Mekielawet was unable to breastfeed. Yekatit 12 provided counselling and nutritional support, ensuring that she reached a healthy weight to receive her cleft lip repair surgery at eight months, and her cleft palate repair surgery six months later.

But Mekielawet’s treatment journey did not end there. Like many children born with a cleft, Mekielawet needed ongoing, holistic care.

She struggled with ear problems, which Yekatit’s ENT helped address. She also struggled with pronouncing certain sounds, but regular speech sessions are helping her learn to communicate clearly.

“We have seen a huge difference in our daughter’s speech,” her parents share, beaming. “We are very happy with everything we have received. Without this, life for Mekielawet would have been very difficult.”

Mekielawet’s family knows what an important role you – our supporters – have played in her story. They hoped to share this message with you:

“She doesn’t just belong to us. Our daughter belongs to everyone who supported her rehabilitation.”

Thank you for making a real difference for this family.

Imagine being born with a cleft lip and palate in rural Myanmar.

While the need for cleft care is great, treatment is limited (or non-existent) in many parts of the country. Accurate information about the condition is scarce, and families face stigma at every turn. Without the ability to breastfeed, newborn nutrition can be a challenge from day one. Care from specialists is costly, and far from remote villages (often 3 - 4 days away). Safety concerns and periodic natural disasters can make travel for appointments too risky to pursue.

These are just a few of the challenges that Ta’s family faced upon learning that their son was born with a cleft. His parents feared that their child would be excluded from his school and community. They felt hopeless and alone

But TF is working to change the story for children like Ta. Together with our trusted Thai partner, the Northern Women’s Development Foundation, we are expanding our work in Myanmar in 2018.

While we have been supporting families from Myanmar for years by bringing them across the border to Thailand for cleft treatment, we will now begin to deliver some essential services – such as nutritional support to high-risk newborns, counselling for children and families, and speech therapy – closer to home and in these children’s own language.

We are proud to continue strengthening comprehensive cleft care worldwide, which is made possible by donors like you. Together, we can ensure that children like Ta have access to a complete circle of care.

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“We were waiting for him for so long.”

Lucia and José Sr. had been hoping for a sibling for their daughter for many years – and at last, they found out she was expecting! The family was overjoyed, and their daughter began counting down the days until her little brother arrived.

But when Baby José was born with a cleft, his parents were terrified. They did not know if he would survive, or how they would afford the care he needed. Nurses told the family that because of his condition, he would “never breastfeed, never learn, and never talk.”

Luckily, José’s family found out about TF’s Peruvian partner. Thanks to their support, today José is thriving! His mother is proud that her son is now “gordito” (chubby!) and healthy. His family is filled with hope for his future, knowing that they can count on TF’s support for years to come.

We first met Selvi when she was a shy and self-conscious teenager. Her cleft caused her to struggle to communicate clearly and as a result, she was having trouble finding a job. She despaired of ever becoming employed or finding a spouse.

But TF’s field partners never gave up on Selvi, and they ensured that she had access to comprehensive cleft care, including speech therapy, dental care and social support.

Selvi now describes her life as having been totally transformed! Her speech has improved, and dental and orthodontic work has made a big difference on her self-esteem. Today you can hardly recognize her–a metamorphosis to a vibrant young woman who is often seen smiling from ear-to-ear.

And that’s not all. Last year, Selvi got married! She is pictured here with her mom and new husband.

Selvi’s story is a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of comprehensive cleft care.

Chaiyanon’s treatment journey is just beginning.

He was born with a cleft lip and palate in a small village in northern Thailand. Fortunately, his parents knew exactly where to turn when their son was born: our Thai Field Partner, the Northern Women’s Development Foundation (NWDF).

Chaiyanon was admitted to the project when he was just two days old. We’ve been supporting Chaiyanon and his family since the very beginning!

Like many children born with cleft, Chaiyanon’s journey is not without its challenges. He is struggling to gain weight, as his cleft is making it difficult for him to breastfeed. We are providing training and supporting the family’s nutrition to ensure that Chaiyanon will be cleared to receive a safe cleft repair surgery on time. They tell us that they are so grateful for the care he is receiving.

With the support of his loving family and our Field Partners, Chaiyanon is making great progress! Thanks to your support, families like these have access to comprehensive cleft care from the very beginning.

186 Patients

TF partner, Fundación Gavina, supported 186 patients in northern Argentina last year. They are committed to strengthening comprehensive cleft care regionally, and have formed a new collaboration with the provincial Ministry of Health to promote better pre-surgical care to newborns (and better support to parents). They are currently working alongside the Ministry of Health to advance the quality of cleft care in the province.

186 Patients

TF partner, Fundación Gavina, supported 186 patients in northern Argentina last year. They are committed to strengthening comprehensive cleft care regionally, and have formed a new collaboration with the provincial Ministry of Health to promote better pre-surgical care to newborns (and better support to parents). They are currently working alongside the Ministry of Health to advance the quality of cleft care in the province.

238 Patients

2017 was an important year for TF’s long-term partner, Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute. In addition to supporting 238 patients, they also hosted the prestigious 2017 Cleft Congress – an international event which brings together the world’s leading cleft professionals. TF was able to bring together 28 delegates (from across 12 countries) to attend the conference and share their own expertise.

*A private charitable foundation covers all of TF’s non-program costs. This ensures that 100% of donations go directly to cleft care.
For our complete audited financial statements, please visit transformingfaces.org or call (416) 222-6581

All TF international projects are managed by our intrepid local partner organizations:

Argentina: Fundación Gavina and CePSI - Santiago del Estero

Chile: Fundación Gantz

Ethiopia: Yekatit 12 Hospital and Project Harar Ethiopia

India: Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute

Peru: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and AVOLDINSN Breña

Thailand: Northern Women’s Development Foundation

We are grateful to all whose image appears in this report. All photos courtesy of TF Staff, Volunteers and Field Partners.