Some 8000 children are born every day in Bangladesh. As a rough estimate, one in 500-600 will be born with cleft lip and palate, some 15 every single day. Without help, they will face severe problems in their daily life and worse future prospects.
One of these children is Khadiza – the name has its roots in Arabic and means “the respected one”. She is born in 2023 in the rural Northeast of Bangladesh. Her parents are shocked when they take her into her arms for the first time after birth: A large cleft is visible, the palate is affected as well. The parents are desperately worried. Their farm does not make them much money. Khadiza has two siblings, who also need to be taken care of from the proceeds.
Help for Khadiza
But fate smiles on Khadiza. Her parents find out about our aid program for children with cleft lip and palate in Bangladesh – funded by our donors and free of charge for the affected families. This means that every family can access this important healthcare for their children. The parents take their girl to the nearby city of Sylhet, where our experienced surgeon Dr. Masum operates on her. He first closes the cleft lip in September 2023 and then the palate the following January.
At only one year of age, Khadiza already has both important surgeries behind her, giving her the best chances for her future: having the lip and palate closed when the child starts to speak produces the best results. Smiling happily, Khadiza now has a better future ahead of her!
Every day, some 15 children are born with cleft lip and palate in Bangladesh. Without surgery, many roads in life will remain closed to them. Help us help more children like Khadiza with your donation!
