Genes Nueva Mabel, my niece born with bilateral cleft and palate. Born on January 26, 2006. We call her baktin (little piggy), Bianca Flor, Rosing, Gwapita (beauty) and atribida (actress of non sense).
It was October 2006 when she had her first cleft operation. She was just 9 months then and the youngest of all ten babies operated on that special schedule. Before the operation the doctor must see to it that the baby is healthy..means no fever, cough and running nose. Most she must have not eaten or drink milk for within 4 hours before the operation. She was the second to be operated. No guardian allowed inside the operating room. We waited outside of i guess less 2 hours. We never noticed the time coz our mind was filled of her cries as the nurse carried her inside the room.After the operation i was about to collapsed when i saw her face. Lips filled with threads and betadine, eyes sored coz of crying and arms binded with tape and rolled hard paper so she wont scratch her lips.. and as much as possible she must not cry... But the worst on her was to feed her milk just by drops and drops.. when she used to have 7 bottled milk of 250 ml per day and some cereals.
And by June 2007 was her second operation for palate. She was 1 year and 9 months old. Juz by the time she got recovered now here it goes the second omen of her dreams. She got phobia of nurses and doctors..whoever wears white that time.So my mother had to attend her inside the operating room and she cried as the operation went. As usual, the baby underwent fasting again before the operation.
After the operation, her mouth were tied with bandages. As if she looked liked bein kidnap and tied mouth. Bloods and saliva just flow freely from her mouth as she cried. Just picture it out!!!
Now, here she is. Seems no scars of pain in her memories. She is funny and her heart always filled with joy. She knows she has facial defect coz she really take care of her mouth/lips. She play games that won't hurt her lips. She joins boxing, tom & jerry play any game with her brothers.. juz "touch not my lips". Coz if you did, she'll punch your lips too.hiihihi.. She's the only girl of all grandchildren on both sides of her parents but she is the master of the game.Everytime she speak a word & talks a lot we clapped and appreciate her eventhough sometimes we could not understand. Sometimes she sensed we don't get her words, she juz makes hand signals or grabbed you to the thing she wants to emphasized. What gives us joy is when she sings. She loves singing and immitate the way my mom sings in high tunes.
She is so beautiful and smart. We now know the reason why she was born in bilateral cleft and palate.. because she cannot be perfect and nobody is perfect.The doctor said after her 18 years of age she can under nose lifting. But right now she is beautiful as she is.. and many says so.
