As Smile Foundation we provide support at Red Cross Hospital and especially at our Clinics there are always patients that need assistance where we can assist, we do so. There are many patients that are referred via the online portal, and we can support and journey with these parents and their children. Many of these parents need that bit of extra encouragement and the interest shown I find has been so helpful and they are so grateful that there is someone that has taken time to spend with them and just make them feel special.
The patients that have been referred are so pleased with the assistance given and I find they always manage to refer another patient / parent who needs help and so we offer constant and care to these patients that has been referred.
Maahir was born a year ago as part of a twin and he was born with a Cleft Palate and Pierre Robins Sequence or PR Syndrome , it is a rare congenital birth defect characterized by an underdeveloped jaw, backward displacement of the tongue and upper airway obstruction. His twin sister is perfectly normal and thriving. Maahir is very healthy otherwise and is taken good care of. He was a very quiet baby but he too is thriving and is lively. His parents attended the various Clinics and then after a lengthy consultation with Prof Saleigh Adams a date was scheduled for surgery on 12/2/24.
I visited they day they went into surgery and Maahir was very happy and playful. The surgery was successful, and all went well. He was in some pain after discharged but they were given the necessary medication.
Mom Chanel is thankful for the Smile journey with her and for the support group that has helped her with all the questions that she has and the support and motivation for a first time Mom , she is very appreciative of the care and assistance that has been given.
When visiting a Smile patient in support when he had his operation, Samuel and his Mom Sharnelle were in the ward as Samuel was born with a Tongue tie. Mom explains this was only detected much later on as Samuel was a sickly child and she was in and out of hospital with him constantly. It was Lockdown and she was retrenched but it worked out well as she had to take care of Samuel.
Samuel started eating and drinking much better once she as looking after him and was grateful to be able to attend to him especially when they found out he has a tongue tie. Samuel is a is very loving, lively and is extremely chatty and speaks non stop and very friendly with the other children in the ward. He is very observant and comments on everything as well. Mom says she is very sad and feels hurt for her child when he is not understood and his words and how he speaks is being mocked and made him feel different and he tells her the children make fun of the way he speaks and they also cannot understand him, But she is happy for the operation and they path they will be taking and getting speech therapy , and she is not shy or does not want to hide that he is different she was to make him feel good about himself and he must be able to defend himself in society.