Support Cleft Nutrition in Rural Guatemala

High in the misty mountains of San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, lives a young couple—Rodolfo and María Gabriela—with their two sons, José and baby Héctor. Their home, made of tin and cane, is humble but full of love.

Six months ago, Héctor was born with a cleft lip and palate. He couldn’t breastfeed, and his parents quickly noticed his pain and difficulty eating. Rodolfo, a 22-year-old farmer, recognized the condition—his sister had been born the same way. But he didn’t know how to access help.

One day, Rodolfo saw a Partner for Surgery van passing by with a hand-drawn image of a cleft baby. That moment gave him hope. With help from his employer, who contacted our team, Héctor was referred to our Cleft Infant Nutrition Program.

When our health promoter Dina met him in February 2025, Héctor was just three months old, weighing only 2.4 kg (5.2 lbs). He was severely malnourished. That day marked the beginning of a life-changing journey.

On a recent home visit, Dina brought a 15-lb supply of nutritional support—Incaparina, formula, and specialized bottles. Alongside two pediatric volunteers from California, Héctor was examined and praised for his progress: he now weighs 12.6 lbs and measures 60 cm.

His family, though facing cold nights and no running water, remains hopeful. A small gas stove gifted by Rodolfo’s employer has allowed them to safely prepare his bottles. Their community is their strength.

Héctor is now scheduled to receive his first surgery this August, thanks to the Faces of Hope surgical team—and most importantly, thanks to you.

Your donation provided the formula, transportation, medical care, and hope that made Héctor’s transformation possible.

From our entire team and Héctor’s family: thank you.

When Margarita saw her newborn son for the first time, uncertainty filled her heart. He was different from her other children. But as night fell and silence surrounded her, her mother’s words echoed in her mind: "God sent him to you this way, and He will provide the solutions along the way." The journey was not easy. They didn’t know where to seek help until they arrived at Roosevelt Hospital. Walter spent his first 15 days there, hospitalized and under observation. He couldn’t be discharged without a special feeding bottle, but with the help of Dina, a dedicated Partner For Surgery’s health promoter, Margarita managed to find one.

Walter’s surgeries were repeatedly postponed due to ongoing respiratory infections, each delay bringing both frustration and hope. But Margarita never gave up—she knew the right moment would come. On February 18th, at two years and eight months old, Walter finally began his surgical treatment with the Broken Earth Team. His journey has not been easy—besides cleft lip and palate, he also has microtia, syndactyly in his hands and feet, and cryptorchidism.

After his surgery, Margarita can’t help but smile when she looks at him. "I’m so happy to see him well, to see him beautiful," she says with pride. Her struggle has not been in vain. Grateful to Partner for Surgery and her health promoter Dina, she acknowledges she has never been alone.

And though the journey is not over yet, one thing is certain: they will never be alone because of Partner for Surgery.