In 2015, we met Normalida. She arrived to our host hospital during surgical week, and her story and kind spirit touched our hearts.
Clefts run in her family: she has three cousins who were also born with clefts and were patients of FACES Foundation in 2014. Thrilled with the results, her cousins brought her to us, and we scheduled her for a cleft lip repair two days later.
Normalida, January 2015
To our delight, Normalida returned to see us during our 2016 campaign! As in most cleft cases, she still had a cleft palate that needed repair. Her results are remarkable! Her smile, as pretty as ever, shines with confidence and gratitude.
Because of the distance of her travels (20 hours of walking / bus), she and her mom stayed at the hospital until the day of her surgery. Each time a FACES team member came to the waiting room, they received a hug from Normalida.
Normalida’s Mother, Tom Albert, Normalida, Kelly Jensen
Once admitted for her palate surgery, she continued to charm the surgical team with her optimism and sweetness.
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Morgan Luke
Because of her open palate, Normalida never learned to speak. Last month, FACES repaired her palate, and she will now have the ability to produce sounds and begin to communicate with her voice.
Her life has changed forever. We feel truly fortunate that she found us.
Normalida, 1 year after lip surgery