Much-needed and life changing reconstructive surgeries, to repair cleft lips and cleft palates, were performed this week at the Tygerberg Hospital in Parow.
These surgeries are made possible by the Smile Foundation who again this year partnered with Milky Lane. The media were afforded the opportunity to meet some of the patients and was invited to Ward D3 on Thursday 20 November where some of the patients were eagerly awaiting their turn. One of those patients were little Ayla Klaasen (one-year and seven-months old) from Gouda who still has to undergo surgery to repair her cleft palate.
Sitting on her grandmother, Lilian Klaasen’s lap, Ayla played with a toy car, moving about making a noise like so many other babies at her age would, unaware of her surroundings and the reason she finds herself in a hospital ward.
According to the grandmother Ayla had already undergone a surgery to repair her cleft lip, and was brought to hospital on Thursday to have her cleft palate repaired. However, due to her chest being infected, the surgery had to be postponed.
The doctors still need to confirm the new date which will probably be in January next year.
According to Klaasen, her daugther and mother to Ayla, Chantell (24), also suffered from a cleft lip.
She says the cleft palate affects Ayla in several ways. “We have to stop her sometimes from eating certain hard foods, and she just want to eat like all the other children.”
Akhona Naku, franchise manager at Milky Lane, said their support forms part of Milky Lane’s national Corporate Social Investment (CSI) project and that the company is proud to be involved with the Smile Foundation and the wonderful work that they do.
Milky Lane has been a supporter for the past five years now, he said.
