Janat's Story
Life-changing cleft care for Janat
Remembering back to the day when she saw Janat’s smile for the first time, Fatima recalled the shock and fear that filled her heart.
Children born with cleft conditions often encounter major hurdles with feeding and struggle to receive proper nourishment. Fearing for their daughter’s health, Fatima and Youssef felt helpless as they watched Janat steadily become smaller and sicker during her first weeks of life.
After hearing about Operation Smile Morocco, the family traveled to seek the care they so desperately needed for their daughter. However, at just 1 month old, Janat was too young to receive surgery and was in a state of severe malnutrition that would have made it impossible to undergo anaesthesia.
To protect patients like Janat from the dangers of malnourishment dentists rely on pre-surgical dental care like feeding plates. They serve as the first step toward improving a patient’s health, leading them away from starvation and guiding them toward a healthier life.
After testing out her new plate for the first time, Janat drank two and a half ounces of milk in immediately. A huge improvement from the three ounces of milk she was able to consume throughout an entire day before the feeding plate.
Although Janat’s health was improving, the pandemic put a stop to surgical programmes and it wasn’t until October 2021 that the family could return to Operation Smile Morocco.
Janat passed her comprehensive health evaluation after overcoming her battle with malnutrition, months of delayed care amid the pandemic and countless miles traveled to and from her home, and she could finally received the surgery to repair her cleft lip.
Operation Smile Morocco will also provide Janat with surgery to repair her cleft palate in the near feature.
I didn’t expect her to be this perfect, I am ready for her cleft palate surgery. I will go anywhere, any place. She is my priority.
Fatima, Morocco
