Sometimes, having hope in your heart is the only thing that keeps you going. But hope is often laced with fear – because it’s a fragile thing, easily dashed.
These are the emotions you see on the face of 41-year-old Marie Kalume above, as she waits to hear if Operation Smile can help her little girl. Ever since Sarah was born a year ago, Marie has hardly dared to hope that something could be done to help her child.
Until Sarah was born, Marie had never heard of cleft conditions. It was a difficult birth. Both mom and baby spent in ICU afterwards and it was three days before Marie saw her child for the first time.
“I just cried,” she said. “I kept asking myself, ‘What is this?'”
Doctors explained the condition to her. But practical help was in short supply.
Because of her condition, little Sarah couldn’t suck properly. She needed a special bottle – and the local creche refused to take her because she was so difficult to feed. Marie had to stop working to care for her child.
She didn’t know what to do or where to turn. Until a doctor referred her to Operation Smile.
“I sent all my details – birth certificates and so on – and they contacted me,” she said. Hardly daring to hope, Marie brought her child to our recent surgical programme at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg.
Little Sarah passed her health screening tests with flying colours and was scheduled for surgery the next day.
Afterwards there were more tears for Marie. Tears of joy and gratitude.
“I’m grateful because they helped my child when I was hopeless and I didn’t know what to do.”
From 23-26 July, our Operation Smile team heads to the Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela to turn hope into reality for more worried parents like Marie. But we can only do it if caring people like you play your part in helping to make safe surgery possible.
Your donation – made right here and now – helps give a child born with a cleft the chance to live a healthy, confident life. Whether you’re able to give R500 or R5 000, your kindness will touch a child waiting for surgery … and the parents who pray for help.
So please, will you join our circle of caring sponsors and supporters now? And when we share pictures from the programme afterwards, you’ll see for yourself how much your kindness means.
