Faustina's Story

Life-changing cleft care for Faustina

By the age of 17, Faustina had spent most of her life in the shadows. Born with a cleft lip, she faced cruel stigma in her village. Visitors refused to eat in her home, and her parents kept her hidden to protect her from bullying and harm.

Her family knew surgery could change her life, but they couldn’t afford it—until they heard about Operation Smile.

Faustina and her father traveled 15 hours by bus to reach a medical mission in Koforidua, Ghana. After a full day of health screenings, she was approved for surgery. Nervous and excited, Faustina walked hand-in-hand with her surgeon to the operating room.

Just 45 minutes later, her life changed.

A year on, Faustina is thriving. Now 18, she’s training as a seamstress under the village’s head tailor, laughing and learning alongside friends she never thought she’d have. Once shy and withdrawn, she’s now confident, outgoing—and even sings at the front of her church.

“I’ve forgiven the people who once rejected me,” Faustina says. “Now I’ve accepted them as friends.”

Thanks to Operation Smile, Faustina’s future is full of possibility.