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Field Impact ReportSmiles Without Borders-Pediatric Cleft Surgeries - Phase I-Benevolent ProgramGuatemala City, Guatemala

Project Goal

This surgeries program is intended to care for patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate in low-income children in Guatemala. This program will be carried out in partnership between Operation Smile, Cáritas Arquidiocesana and Food for the Poor in order to support 225 children.

Project Update

Fifty-eight cleft lip and/or palate surgeries were performed on low-income children from different parts of the country. They were evaluated to verify that they were in optimal health conditions and were cared for in their surgical and postoperative process. The surgeries were carried out without complications and the children returned home with the necessary medical instructions for their care.

The list of children operated on and their diagnosis is detailed below.

1. Mariana Eufamia Arriola Verdugo, cleft hard palate

2. Abner Moises Morales Chon, cleft hard palate

3. Junior de Jesus Hernandez Pineda, cleft hard palate

4. Edy Estuardo Chaley Silvestre, cleft hard palate

5. Cristali Naomi Puac Lopez, cleft hard palate 

6. Dominic Ismael Gutierrez Armira, cleft hard palate

7. Alison Heypril Castañon Melchor, cleft lip

8. Angel Josue David Calel Ramos, cleft hard palate

9. Yoselin Yamileth Rodriguez Ucelo, cleft hard palate

10. Angelica Maas Bol, cleft hard palate

11. Miguel Eduardo Cabnal Choc, cleft hard palate

12. Dorcas Valentina Carias Marroquin, cleft hard palate

13. Nohemi Esther Garcia Salguero, unilateral cleft lip

14. Carlos David Toj Lopez, 

15. Lizeth Griselda Magaly Cum Caal, cleft hard palate

16. Cristian Denilson Buc Mercar, cleft hard palate

17. Jostin Aroldo Miche Sian, unilateral cleft palate

18. Keileth Abisahi Rivera Donis, cleft hard palate

19. Alexis Mateo Alvarado Alvarez, cleft hard palate

20. Jovito Alberto Lazaro Cha, cleft hard palate

21. Byron Manuel Ismatul Marin, cleft hard palate

22. Angel Gamaliel Lopez Tzoy, cleft hard palate

23. Angy Nahomy Hernandez Mo, cleft hard palate

24. Jayden Javier Cucul, cleft hard palate

25. Zoe Lily Mancilla Perla, cleft hard palate

26. Rudy Ismael Caal Chaneb, cleft hard palate

27. Angel Yadiel Tzunux Calel, cleft hard palate

28. Marcos Martin Mereta, cleft hard palate

29. Jose de Jesus Diaz Ortiz, cleft hard palate

30. Deybin Rosendo Ax Cucul, cleft hard palate

31. Darly Floridalma Ba Te, cleft hard palate

32. Adriana Milagros Paredes Castañeda, cleft hard palate

33. Reyna Esperanza Tubac Chajon, cleft hard palate

34. Kelvin Isaac Matul Solis, cleft hard palate

35. Jose Luis Elias Tiul, cleft hard palate

36. Mayrani Valentina Noj Estrada, cleft hard palate

37. Luis Alfredo Tubac Chajon, cleft hard palate

38. Pablo Josue Lopez Garcia, cleft hard palate

39. Dulce Sofia Herrera Ruiz, cleft hard palate

40. Tomas Alfredo Chicoj Cortez, cleft hard palate

41. Angel Joan Avila Aldana, cleft hard palate

42. Jostin Misahel Cornejo Santos, cleft hard palate

43. Andy Rolando Montecinos Hernandez, cleft hard palate

44. Mayra Paola Quej, cleft hard palate

45. Sheyla Mariana Vasquez Lopez, cleft hard palate

46. Andry Gael Velasquez Sontay, cleft hard palate

47. Pablo Emanuel Catu Pacheco, cleft hard palate

48. Iker Jeremias Davila Perez, cleft hard palate

49. Katheryn Estefani Lopez Orozco, cleft hard palate

50. Madeli Heydee Najera Najera, cleft hard palate

51. Josue Baltazar Tambriz Tambriz, cleft hard palate

52. Denison Ogilvy Ordoñez Xirum, cleft hard palate

53. Scarleth Janeth Hernandez Alvarez, cleft hard palate

54. Alison Nicol Guadalupe Mejia Lemus, cleft hard palate

55. Diosny Alberto Garcia Ramirez, cleft hard palate

Junior de Jesús Hernández Pineda is a 10-month-old boy who lives with his family in a village in the municipality of Palencia located 35 kilometers from Guatemala City. His father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. He was born with a cleft lip and palate, a condition that makes it difficult for him to eat normally. When the mother was interviewed, she told us: "we are happy that they operated on him and we hope that he continues well so that they can operate on his palate because he cannot suck well and now he is physically better as well. I tell them thank you very much for everything you do here, may God bless you".

Iker Jeremías Dávila Pérez underwent surgery for a cleft lip. He is 9 months old, the youngest of 6 siblings, and lives with his family in zone 18 of Guatemala City, an area considered a red zone due to high crime rates. His father is a bricklayer and does not have a fixed income, his mother is a housewife and dedicates herself to caring for her family.

Iker was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate and the day of the surgery the mother told us: "it has been a great help to me because I did not expect it, we were worried about what we were going to do with the baby and thank God for the care Here they have been effective and very kind, he will improve both physically so that he can have a better life, for us it is a great benefit because we want the best for him; We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts, I don't have anything to pay you with, I ask that God continue to touch your hearts so that he can continue helping us and other people who are also in need".

Testimonial

Remaining Components

The project contemplates performing 225 surgeries on children diagnosed with cleft lip and/or cleft palate. A first disbursement was received for 75 surgeries and 55 were performed as some children presented health problems and their surgery was postponed.

There are still 20 surgeries pending with this first disbursement and the other 150 when the funds are received.

About Food For The Poor

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

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