By Frank B. Peterson | President and Co-Founder
Vidalia was born in July of 2013. She weighed 7 pounds and appeared to be in good health – except she was born with a cleft lip and palate. Her parents Catalina and Hector walked for hours to two different hospitals, both of which told them this was not an urgent case. Because of the family’s extreme poverty, they were referred to a social worker.
When Hector’s family learned that Vidalia was born with cleft lip and palate, they shunned Vidalia and Catalina and told Hector to take his family away “to avoid suffering and shame to the family”. Says Catalina: “In order to have a place to live, we didn’t have enough money for food. Often Hector and I ate once per day, or sometimes skipped a day, so the children could eat. In spite of this, Vidalia lost weight and became malnourished."
“Thanks to God and to the social worker, we learned about Partner for Surgery and beginning in January of 2014 a Health Promoter helped us with milk for my daughter. I don't know what we would have done without them. I have given birth to five children, and three of them have died. Only Vidalia and her 7-year-old brother survive.”
After two months, the Health Promoter became concerned that Vidalia was not gaining weight, and also noticed that the baby sweated excessively. Her parents took Vidalia to a hospital to be examined, and it was discovered that Vidalia suffered from a heart condition. Vidalia was admitted to the hospital to be monitored, and Catalina stayed with her while Hector returned to his community with his son so he could work. Two months later, Vidalia received corrective heart surgery, and in October of 2014, the cardiologist cleared Vidalia for cleft lip surgery. Vidalia is expected to receive her cleft palate surgery in the spring of 2015.
Said Catalina: “Thank God for Partner for Surgery. God is the only one who can repay them for what they have done for my daughter, thank you.”
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