Stories

A tiny girl bringing light to her family’s humble home,
yet facing the fear and uncertainty of a cleft lip.

News of her birth reached Health Promoter Johanna Cap through someone in the community who knew this family needed help. Johanna didn’t hesitate—she walked into the hills of Técpan to find them.

When she arrived, she brought more than support. She brought comfort, reassurance, and the promise that this family would not walk this journey alone.
Partner for Surgery embraced them—just as we do for hundreds of families each year—
with nutrition for strength, education for confidence, and care filled with hope.

Today, little Briseyda is waiting for her cleft lip surgery.
A tiny girl with a bright future—and a community standing behind her.

Her smile is coming. And when it arrives, it will light every corner of her life.

This is what your generosity powers— not just a surgery, but a beginning, a future, a ripple of hope.

Dilsa was born in La Unión Nueva Linda, nestled deep in the mountains of San Marcos.
The day she was born, she lost her mother.  No hospital nearby. No road fast enough.
Just silence, grief, and a newborn who needed more than the world around her could give.

Her grandmother, Doña Maruca, made a choice that changed everything. She became both grandmother and mother—guided only by love and courage.

Days later, our Health Promoter, Surama, climbed the steep dirt path to their home.
Carrying formula, knowledge and compassion.

Month after month, they walked that road together. Weight gained. Strength grew. Hope returned. Four months later, grandmother and granddaughter traveled to Antigua.
In a small hospital filled with prayers and trembling hands, Dilsa received her first new smile.

When Doña Maruca held her afterward, she whispered only: “Gracias.”

This is what your support does.
It doesn’t just change a face,it strengthens a family, restores hope, and keeps a child alive long enough to receive their chance.

Six-month-old Dilan, from Aldea El Roblar, is the first child of Ana and Esdras. Living in rural Guatemala, the family faced significant challenges accessing medical care. Partner for Surgery stepped in, providing the support they needed to give Dilan a healthy start in life.

Through the Cleft Infant Nutrition Program (CINP), Dilan receives monthly formula and food baskets, ensuring that he grows strong and healthy. His health promoter, Dina, visits his home each month and records his nutritional progress in the Medida software using the smartphone we provided. Dilan is now thriving at 16 lbs and 25.2 inches. This vital support prepares him for his life-changing surgeries.

In August, Dilan underwent his first cleft lip surgery, performed by Dr. Rohit Khosla from the Faces of Hope Surgical Team. The results were remarkable—a new smile that brought hope and joy to his family. Partner for Surgery’s mission to overcome barriers to healthcare ensures that Dilan will continue receiving care, including his cleft palate repair and a future ear reconstruction surgery.

Through nutrition support, expert care, and life-changing surgeries, Partner for Surgery is transforming lives — one smile at a time.

When Silvia found out she was pregnant, she planned to deliver her baby at home, like many mothers in her village near Santo Domingo Xenacoj, with the help of a trusted midwife. But when the time came, things didn’t go as expected. Complications arose, and with no car of their own, Silvia and her husband rushed to the hospital in Chimaltenango, 40 minutes away.

There, baby Karla was born—a beautiful little girl, but with a cleft lip and palate. The hospital team immediately referred her to Partner for Surgery, and our health promoter Jandery made the first connection. Since Karla lived in a nearby region, Jandery coordinated her care with Dina, the health promoter for that area. And so, Karla entered the Cleft Infant Nutrition Program—her first step toward healing.

In the first weeks of her life, Karla struggled. Feeding was painful and difficult. Her mother tried using bottles, but Karla couldn’t latch. She often cried in hunger and frustration. Silvia was overwhelmed, unsure how to help her daughter gain weight or grow strong.

That’s when Dina stepped in—bringing special bottles, formula, and a plan to help Karla grow strong enough for surgery.

With time, care, and nutritional support, Karla gained weight. On April 7, with the Free to Smile surgical team, Karla underwent her first operation to repair her lip.

Silvia remembers the wait outside the operating room. 

“I was anxious and sad,” she said. “But when I saw her after the surgery, with her new smile, I felt such joy. It was like seeing her for the first time again.”

Something beautiful happened after surgery: feeding became easier. Karla could finally hold her bottle better. Her hunger eased, and her joy returned. She started trying new foods—mashed potatoes and guicoy, her favorites.

Now that she’s six months old, Karla is preparing for her next big milestone: a surgery to repair her palate next year. With the start of complementary feeding, she was introduced to Incaparina. But at first, she had some trouble—constipation made her uncomfortable. With the support of Dina and our community nutritionist Alejandra, Silvia learned to adjust the recipe by adding a bit of oil to ease digestion.

The results? Karla is thriving once again.

She’s growing, laughing, learning—and spending time on her favorite swing, a handmade seat crafted from a bent iron rod and a burlap sack. Whenever Dina comes to weigh her, Karla giggles—it reminds her of swinging, and she loves the attention.

Behind every successful surgery is a health promoter who believed in a baby’s future before anyone else could see it. They are the bridge between isolation and care, between despair and transformation.

Thanks to your support, all of this is possible.

High in the mountains of San Juan Sacatepéquez, surrounded by fields of cabbage and Chinese peas, lives a young couple—Rodolfo and María Gabriela—in a humble home made of tin and cane. Their house, nestled in the remote caserío of Los Pajoques, is simple: a dirt floor, one shared bed for the whole family, and no running water. Yet, it is filled with love, laughter, and the sound of children playing.

Their second son, Héctor, came into the world six months ago with the help of a local midwife. His birth was met with joy by his parents, older brother José, and his four little cousins who live nearby. But shortly after his birth, his parents noticed something was different: Héctor was born with a cleft lip and palate. He couldn’t breastfeed, and his cries—sharp and constant—echoed the pain of a baby who was hungry but unable to eat.

Rodolfo, just 22 years old, works long days as a farmer. He wasn’t afraid when he saw Héctor’s condition—his own sister had been born the same way. But he knew they needed help. One day while working, he saw the Partner for Surgery van driving by, with a hand-drawn image of a baby with a cleft lip done by a Smiles for Guatemala volunteer. That image, created by a medical volunteer, gave him hope about the future of his baby. With the help of his employer, who called our office on his behalf, his son was referred to our Cleft Infant Nutrition Program.

When our health promoter, Dina, first met Héctor on February 3, 2025, he was three months old. He weighed just 2.4 kilograms (5.2 lbs) and measured 46 cm—severely underweight and malnourished. That day, Dina began her journey with Héctor and his loving family.

Recently, We arrived for a home visit on a misty morning, bringing a 15-pound food bag, 5 lbs of Incaparina, 5 cans of NAN formula, and two special bottles made specifically for babies like Héctor. Dina, carrying her tools—a stadiometer, measuring tape, and scale—was ready to check his progress.

Four giggling girls greeted us with their hair freshly combed and dresses smoothed out. “Un momento,” they said shyly, “we’re not ready yet.” Their excitement was contagious. That day, we were joined by volunteer pediatricians Dr. David and Dr. Erin, visiting from California, who were introduced to us by our beloved board member, Don Heebner.

Dr. David examined him and smiled. “He’s growing beautifully,” he said, as he and Irma, our Program Director, gently taught the family how to tape Héctor’s lip—a critical step in preparing him for surgery. Dr. David carefully cut strips of medical tape they had brought as a donation—enough to last an entire month while Jacki and Maile, daughters of Dr. Erin played with the girls making name bracelets. The house rang with laughter, the joy of children who had just received soccer balls and tennis balls as small gifts.

Inside the home, Rodolfo told us that the family feels blessed for having the support of Partner For Surgery, He also told us that during this season on cold rainy nights, the family piles on ponchos and huddles close to keep warm. Despite these challenges, they’ve remained hopeful. His employer even bought them a small gas stove to boil water for Héctor’s bottles—a gesture that changed everything.

Six months later, thanks to ongoing support in the Cleft Infant Nutrition Program, Héctor now weighs 12.6 lbs and measures 60 cm, and this August, Héctor is scheduled to receive his first surgery with the Faces of Hope surgical team.

And it is because of you that this is possible. 

His transformation is remarkable!