MIRI: No one wishes to be born with physical deformities. thesundaypost interviewed several patients suffering from cleft lip and cleft palate when they came for the assessment session conducted by the Cleft Lips and Palate Association of Malaysia (Clapam) charity corrective surgery project at Columbia Asia Hospital-Miri (CAH-M) yesterday.
All three patients interviewed – one adult and two teenagers -said they have shed many tears over their deformities.
“I hate being ridiculed. People would give negative comments when they cannot comprehend what I was trying to say because of my condition,” said Anna Chong of Song, Kapit who is 34 years of age and married with two children.
Anna did not seek corrective surgery for cleft palate earlier due to poverty. She eventually had the surgery done at a government hospital.
Twins Nurizati and Nurizatul Abdullah meanwhile were stigmatised right up to secondary school.
“Some schoolmates even ask why I look that way,” said elder twin (by 10 minutes) Norizati.
Her twin Nurizatal said she was not so bothered about the unkind remarks but their mother Hamidah Sani recalled that both twins would come home crying, especially in their younger days.
“It’s heartbreaking to see them cry, but we could not do anything about it due to poverty. We consulted clinics about corrective surgery and were told it would cost more than RM10,000 for both of them, which was beyond our means,” said single mother Hamidah whose husband died in 2008.
She was grateful to Clapam and Columbia Asia Hospital-Miri for the charity project.
“I can’t thank them enough, including Dr Kim Tan and medical teams. Only God can repay their kind deeds,” she said.
She found out about the project from The Borneo Post in 2004 and her twins had their first operation at three months of age. Since then they have undergone follow-up operations and are into their third operations.
The parents of two infants registering for the operation are also grateful to the organisers for giving their children the opportunity for a bright future.
“Our wish is to ensure that Kiningpionkrist, our first child (boy) now two months old, develops normally without being stigmatised,” said freelance photographer from Padawan, Nayakristwan Megas who came with his wife Ruwena Ayub.
Mohd Faizal Mazlan from Limbang said the charity project came to the rescue of their first born Nurdhia Fahana, now seven months old suffering from cleft lip and palate.
“She has problem eating and we fear for her health in the absence of corrective surgery,” he said.
Cleft lip and palate is a congenital deformity where there is a split or gap in the lip or palate. It can occur on the lip or palate, or both, and can happen to anyone regardless of race or socio-economic background. The cleft can be repaired with surgery followed by good management and care.
The five patients were among the 14 registered for the 18th Clapam Charity Project, jointly organised by Cleft Lip and Palate Association of Malaysia (Clapam) who initiated a cleft lip and palate community programme in April 2004 with Columbia Asia Hospital Miri (CAH-M)
Clapam is a volunteer support group set up by parents and professionals involved with children born with the condition.
Clapam provides support and counselling to the families of patients, advice on feeding babies born with the condition, provides special bottles and teats, and organises talks conducted by medical professionals.
The project has benefited 450 patients, especially rural children born with cleft lips and palates from families with total income below RM2,000 a month.
For more information, call chief of nursing Ho Siew Choon, marketing executive Goh Teck Nei or marketing assistant Janet Aren at 085-437755/405600 or fax the particulars to 085-425677.