Claudia first came to a FACES screening campaign when she was 8 years old. Her lip and palate had already been repaired by another international cleft team, but her speech was really compromised. She met with the surgeons and the speech therapists, who collaborated on a treatment plan that involved both surgery and therapy. The first step was a surgical intervention to close a hole in her palate, the second step has been a multi-year process of speech therapy, including evaluation sessions and at-home exercises with her mother.
She is now 11 years old.

In 2020, she sent the surgeons a video of herself playing the recorder. In a previous video, she excitedly told the team that she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. We are so happy with her progress, not only physically, but emotionally. This is the joy of returning to the same location year after year: to follow the progress of our patients and rejoice with their families as they grow up into lovely, healthy adults. 

Jesus was brought to the public hospital in Lambayeque by his parents last January. They had traveled from their coffee-growing village in the hills of Northern Peru after hearing about FACES’ surgical cleft campaign from a friend.  Even though the surgical calendar had already been filled, FACES surgeons evaluated their son and saw that his lip, which had been previously repaired by another team, had developed an infection and not held together. He needed a surgery to re-close the lip. Jesus’ father had to return to their home town, but his mother, Tatiana, stayed near the public hospital and waited for days for the chance that there might be an opening. On the last day of operating, there was a cancellation in the schedule, and FACES surgeons took care of 11 month old Jesus. His lip is now completely repaired.

Tatiana shared a video update, greeting, and images of little Jesus with us this year. He is growing and doing all the things a toddler should do! We love the video updates from his mother, and we look forward to seeing both of them when we return and schedule him for his palate repair. 

“Charla con un/a Cirjuano/a” (Talk with a Surgeon)

FACES sought to create new opportunities to maintain the strong connection with families and patients in Peru during the pandemic in 2020, providing information and support to patients.

We now offer “Talks with a Surgeon” via Zoom (and other formats in the future). Patients in remote areas can join in to share updates and ask questions. The first talk in December was well attended, with the presence of FACES board member and surgeon, Dr. Lourdes Quintanilla-Dieck.