Celebration birthday cake for Nzulu, pictured above with his dad Thandisizwe Maphango and mom Sinazo Mtolo.
Little Nzulu was born in November 2022 with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Despite the shock of seeing their baby’s condition, his parents, Sinazo and Thandisizwe, have so much love for their little boy!
But, sadly, love is not enough.
Reconstructive surgery is hugely expensive and not readily available in Bizana, the small, rural town in the Eastern Cape where the family lived. But, just weeks after he was born, Nzulu’s parents attended a workshop aimed at training Community Healthcare Workers to identify cleft conditions and refer families to Operation Smile. They connected with our volunteer nurse, Mam Funeka, who provided crucial early feeding assistance and gave the family the best possible news – Operation Smile could provide free, safe surgery for their child!
Cleft lip surgery
Nzulu underwent surgery to repair his cleft lip in October 2023, during our surgical outreach at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha. He returned in late 2024 for his cleft palate repair – and then again in 2025 for a follow-up appointment when he was declared fully healed.
Unable to eat cake
It was the news the family had been waiting for. Because up until this time, Nzulu had never been able to eat cake. Finally, on his third birthday, the little boy was able to celebrate by blowing out the candles on his very first birthday cake. An exciting moment – and a wonderful celebration of his journey to healing.
Thanks to Operation Smile, Nzulu now has the chance to smile brightly, eat with ease, and grow up strong and healthy – just like every child should.
Truly blessed and grateful
Nzulu’s family reflects on the profound impact of our support. “We were overjoyed when we learned that Nzulu could receive free cleft care through Operation Smile,” they said. “Knowing this support was available at no cost gave us hope. We are truly blessed and grateful.”
“Nzulu’s journey highlights the importance of early identification, caregiver education, and robust community healthcare worker support,” says Sarah Scarth, Executive Director of Operation Smile South Africa.
“It demonstrates the life-transforming impact of a comprehensive cleft care model, encompassing feeding support, outreach training, surgical intervention, as well as future speech therapy and dental treatment that can change the lives of children and their families.”
If you’d like to help more children like Nzulu receive safe, free cleft surgery, please click here to make a donation towards our life-changing work.
