Mission Smile has been in partnership with the Govt. of Meghalaya. The partnership is from 2014 to treat Cleft patients in the state. We are happy to announce that on March 8th 2018, our Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre successfully operated the 1000th patient from the state of Meghalaya.
Mission Smile is grateful to Public Sector Undertakings like NEEPCO. We are also thankful to those who have joined hands with the Govt. of Meghalaya and Mission Smile towards ‘a Cleft Free Meghalaya’.
Poibang Phawa is a 4-year-old child who lives with his parents, Kintulang Phawa (mother), Newell Phawa (father) and his siblings in the Laphet Village of East Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya). His father works as a labour at a coal mine for a living. Unfortunately, Poibang’s elder brother had died on the very next day of his birth. His parents were in utter grief. When Poibang was born, they thought their elder son was born again. Hence they named him Poibang, which means ‘born again’.
When Pobiang was in her mother’s womb, she wanted to visit her sister in the nearby village. His father was sceptical as Kintulang was in her final weeks of pregnancy. However, he finally gave her consent. They met Phida Dkhar, her sister’s newborn daughter, born with a cleft lip. To date, Pobiang’s mother blames herself for visiting her sister and Phida. She believes that Pobiang was born with a cleft lip because of the visit to Phida. After all, she had seen Phida when she was pregnant.
They came to know about Mission Smile and our Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre from ASHA and Anganwadi workers who visited their village. On March 8th, 2018, Pobiang’ received his corrective surgery successfully at GC4. Dr Hiteshwar Sarma and our medical team performed the surgery. His father thanked the entire team for helping his son and their family bring back the lost happiness and smiles on their face.