(M. Sultan, 5 Months, Indonesia)

M. Sultan’s mother was shocked when her newborn son was born with a cleft. As she looked down at his tiny, helpless face she realized that even if she worked from sunup to sundown she would never make enough money to pay for the surgery that her newborn baby so desperately needed.

Taking the baby out in public was heartbreaking; even simple trips to the market were painful for the family. Everyone would stare at the large hole in M. Sultan’s face and strangers would ask his mother, “Why don’t you take your child to have surgery?” The family longed for their baby to look like the rest of the children in the market, with their beautiful smiling faces. Ashamed at the fact that they were unable to help their child, they decided to keep the baby hidden away at home.

When the baby turned 5 months old, a neighbor of the family heard about the free cleft surgery program at Malahayati Hospital sponsored by The Smile Train. The family was cautious at first, but eventually brought their son to the hospital for an evaluation.

M. Sultan was cleared for surgery the very same day he was brought to the hospital and Dr. M. Jailani performed the operation in a little under an hour. The family did not recognize their baby boy once the surgery was complete. He looked like a brand new child, with a big beaming smile on his face. M. Sultan’s mother’s eyes filled with tears as she expressed her gratitude to Dr. Jailani and The Smile Train for helping her child smile just like the other children in the market. Thanks to The Smile Train’s free cleft surgery program, M. Sultan can now look forward to a bright future filled with many smiles.