Cristóbal lives with his family in very poor conditions in El Alto, Bolivia. His mother takes care of Cristobal and his two siblings and the household. His father’s meager salary as a bricklayer is just enough to survive.
When Cristóbal was born with a cleft lip and palate, his parents didn’t know what to do. They had no money for the surgery and no support from the rest of the family, who blamed Cristóbal’s mother for their son being born with cleft. Cristóbal’s parents were very sad and their despair grew day by day. At the clinic where Cristóbal was born, the parents received no information about his cleft lip and palate or treatment options, and the couple’s family did not stand by them.
But Cristóbal’s story took a turn for the better: When Cristóbal was five months old, his parents learned about our partner organization Jiwaqui Bolivia. Our surgeon Dr. Mamani first closed his cleft lip and four months later his cleft palate as well. Today, there is only a small scar left to see from his cleft.
Since the first operation, Cristóbal and his parents have been receiving help from our psychologists and speech therapists. Today, he is two and a half years old and, thanks to our local partners and our donors, he can lead a normal life without the severe health effects of an untreated cleft lip and palate.
We are happy about this happy ending for Cristóbal and his family! Every month, we help hundreds of families like Cristóbal’s get their children the treatment they need. And you too can help make more stories such as Cristóbal’s possible!
