The beautiful child almost blended into the sea of happy faces as volunteers distributed rice and food. He was smiling along with his mother and fellow villagers gathered that day. But unlike the other children, his smile was different. Born with a cleft lip and palate deformity, he had never been treated and needed medical attention.
The volunteers visiting the remote village in the highlands of Vietnam that day might have missed him. He might not have gotten a second chance.
But this little boy was fortunate. The volunteers distributing food that day contacted friends who were medical missionaries. The medical mission team was due to visit the region in a few weeks. Together they worked to contact the family and arranged for the mother and her son to be transported to the hospital where the team would be working. Imagine the mother’s surprise when she learned her son’s deformity might be corrected. Her prayers had been answered.
Within days doctors worked to repair the little boy’s cleft lip – the first surgery they would perform. Later this year the mission team will return and correct his cleft palate which, if left untreated, could permanently affect his speech. More answered prayers.
MAP receives numerous stories each year of children’s lives being transformed by surgery to correct cleft palate deformities. We have shared some of those stories here.
But it was the miracle of this little boy who was spotted among hundreds of people, friends reaching out to friends to see if they could help…individuals coming together to ensure he got the treatment he required. God’s hands were clearly at work.
The medical mission team who performed the first surgery reported back the success of their mission and the miracle performed for this child. They tell us how thankful that MAP provides the medicines and supplies that help them change lives for the better.
We are thankful for you helping to make this possible. Without your support, this boy might have remained one of many in a sea of faces.