The pain that a cleft child’s parents have to bear is beyond apprehension. A remedy that too low or no cost, which helps restore the deformities of the face, is God-send. Such has been the story of Anisha of Kalaianagar village of West Bengal.
Anisha was born as the first child of her parents, Rakhi and Akhibul Mondal. Rakhi and Akhibul run a small business. Their monthly earnings are as meagre as 10000 rupees. They had been looking forward to the birth of their baby. However, they were sad to see the deep gash splitting her lip in two. Anisha was born with a cleft lip.
Anisha’s parents are distantly related, and, in their family, cleft lips are typical. At least one person in their family has suffered the same ailment in the last three generations. So, the parents were aware of the situation. What they weren’t prepared for, though, is the shame and scorn thrown at them.
Children refused to play with Anisha, while elders declined to hold her. Socializing became almost impossible for a small family. Their relations distanced themselves and didn’t help out. It wasn’t easy to care for the child as well. Feeding was complicated because of the ailment. The parents were almost about to give up. They knew that their small income would not allow a minor child surgery.
Eventually, when Anisha was seven months old, her parents heard about us from a field representative in the area. They brought her to the Tapan Sinha Memorial Hospital in Kolkata, where doctors declared her fit for surgery. The parents waited outside anxiously, with prayers on their lips. Not only did the child’s future depend on this, but all their social interactions were also dependant on how the surgery went off.
Fortunately, the surgery was successful, and Anisha got the corrected lips. So, the parents’ delights knew no bound. “All will be well now. Everyone will love our little one,” they said.
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