NEW SMILES AT TYGERBERG

A Parow mother has praised the medical team and the Smile Foundation after her 16-month-old son, Stephen, born with a cleft lip, underwent successful reconstructive surgery.

Stephen was one of three children who received reconstructive surgery at Tygerberg Hospital as part of the Smile Slate initiative, hosted by the Smile Foundation together with Milky Lane.

A Smile Slate is an initiative by the Smile Foundation that provides life-changing surgeries for children with facial anomalies like cleft lip and palate, craniofacial abnormalities and severe burn scarring.

Leading the surgical team was Dr Mosadi Mahoko, plastic consultant at Tygerberg Hospital, supported by registrar Dr Kirthi Ramdhani. 

Dr Mahoko has dedicated much of her career to improving access to reconstructive surgery for children in the public health system, and is known for her patient-centred approach and calm, reassuring presence in theatre. Her hands have helped restore not only smiles, but childhoods. 

Stephen was born with a bilateral cleft palate. Yesterday’s surgery was to close the palate, his mother, Chantelle, said.

She described the Smile Foundation as “amazing” and shared that they found out about his cleft palate when she was 20 weeks pregnant. 

“He was born at 35 weeks. He was in hospital for 17 days because of the cleft, he had a feeding tube, we had to learn how to feed with the bottle. 

“In the beginning it was a bit challenging, you go to the clinic, you get those stairs. I didn’t care because my boy is gorgeous, people didn’t understand so I would have to explain.”