Habibullah lay his tiny cheek on his mother’s shoulder as his hands tightly wrapped around her neck.
January 4th was an important day for him and his family. Not only were they celebrating Habib’s first birthday, but also the fact that he could now smile like other children.
Habib before the operation
Habib’s mother, Ibu Lina, was grateful for the success of her child’s surgery. “Habib was born with a cleft lip. He could not eat his food properly and would sometimes choke. I was so worried about him and also felt hurt when people stared all the time,” she said.
Ibu Lina had been told by a doctor that her son should have an operation as soon as possible, but she could not afford the surgery.
“I felt so helpless when poor Habib would choke and vomit after his breastfeeding. He could not keep his food in. That was why his weight development was under the red line,” Lina said, gently cradling Habib, whose cleft lip also made breathing difficult.
Luckily for Lina her sister works as a nurse for International Medical Corps, which is working with tsunami- and conflict-affected communities in Aceh. Susi discussed Habib’s condition with International Medical Corps’s medical director, who then arranged for him to be examined by Dr. Jailani, a plastic surgeon at Zainoel Abidin Public Hospital. He said that Habib’s health was good enough for an operation so International Medical Corps sent him to Fauzian Hospital in Bireun the next day, accompanied by a nurse.
Habib immediately after the operation
“Thankfully we heard that Fauzian Hospital had a free-of-charge operation for cleft lip conditions at that time. Since Habib was ready to be operated on, we immediately sent him there. The operation was a success and Habib’s family is delighted with the results,” Dr. Tahmina, International Medical Corps’s medical director, added.
On 4 January, International Medical Corps’s medical team was invited to Habib’s house to celebrate his first birthday. When Habib saw the cake they had brought, he gestured to be released from his mother’s embrace and slowly crawled toward it, staring at the flickering candle on top.
He reached out and lightly touched the red and green cherries decorating the cake. Laughter filled the room as everyone watched Habib’s excitement. Lina looked on with pride, wiping a tear from her eye.
Habib has been fortunate. Many children in countries with inadequate health facilities grow up with cleft lip or palate conditions because they are not operated on after birth. This is due to a lack of awareness of the condition and of treatment options as well as a lack of access to treatment. Children grow up facing the stigma of a facial deformity and have difficulties eating, breathing and speaking. This leads to speech and growth problems and frequent infections, all of which could be prevented. Since Habib’s operation, International Medical Corps has worked with an Indonesian foundation called Yayasan Sukma to support the operations of older children with cleft lips and palates so they no longer have to live with this disfiguring condition.
One example is Muzawir, a nine-year-old boy who was born with a cleft lip. His father is a farmer in Sabet, a remote farming village whose crops have been devastated by the ongoing conflict.
International Medical Corps’ medical team noticed Muzawir in his village during a routine mobile clinic visit and referred him to the surgeon in Zanoeil Abidin Hospital. After the referral was made, Muzawir needed a sponsor. The Sukma Foundation came through and offered accommodations and medicine while International Medical Corps provided transportation for the whole family.
Muzawir had his operation on January 16, 2006 at Zainoel Abidin Hospital in Banda Aceh and is now at home with his family.