Stories

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!

Baby Dareck López will celebrate his first birthday on December 22 with a completely transformed smile, thanks to the incredible work of the Broken Earth Newfoundland team and the skilled hands of Dr. Arthur Rideout. Dareck, along with his mother, twin brother, and grandmother, made their first visit to the Obras Sociales Hospital in Antigua this past May for his initial surgery. Born with bilateral cleft lip and palate, Dareck’s journey toward better health has been far from easy.

For the past 11 months, he has been an active participant in the Cleft Infant Nutrition Program, where he receives vital nutritional supplements and monthly home visits from his health promoter, Surama Pérez. These visits include one-on-one educational sessions on feeding techniques and pre- and post-operative care, ensuring Dareck’s family is fully supported every step of the way.

This November, Dareck returned to Antigua for another surgery, this time joined by both his parents and his twin brother, Dereck. His mother, Gris, expressed profound gratitude to the Partner for Surgery team and the Broken Earth team for their unwavering dedication. This time, Dareck’s father, Yeison, was also there to assist Gris in caring for their little boy during his recovery.

As we continue to monitor Dareck’s progress and prepare for his final palate surgery, we’re filled with joy knowing that today, these twin brothers share an even stronger bond and are more alike than ever. Now, it’ll be even harder for mom to tell them apart!

Dareck’s resilience and his family’s love and dedication are a testament to the life-changing power of compassionate care.

Emily López
Resource and Development Director

It’s not just children we treat and benefit from surgery; adults like René Muñoz, who is 52 years old, also find life-changing support. René, a devoted family man and hardworking farmer from an isolated valley of Jalapa, has faced challenges since birth due to a unilateral cleft lip and palate. His condition made communication difficult and led to frequent respiratory infections. Discrimination prevented him from attending school, limiting his job opportunities.

As a malnourished baby, René didn’t qualify for surgery. Over time, he developed a fear of corrective procedures and resigned himself to his condition. However, his neighbor and friend, Byron Reynoso, offered a glimmer of hope by suggesting treatment in Antigua Guatemala through Partner for Surgery.

With Byron’s encouragement, René traveled to Antigua, where he met Dina Salguero, a compassionate health promoter from Partner for Surgery. Dina guided René through consultations, evaluations, and surgery preparations. After a few months of overcoming obstacles like hypertension, René underwent a successful operation led by Dr. Christopher Tolan of the Love Without Boundaries team.

Though his recovery journey continues, René’s story showcases resilience and the transformative impact of community support. With Byron, Dina, and the Partner for Surgery team standing by his side, René now has a reason to smile again, proving that courage and hope can conquer any challenge.

Last Sunday was my first day with Partner for Surgery. I have lived my entire life in Antigua, Guatemala, but Sunday was the first time I entered  Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, a non-profit hospital.

This past Sunday 56 children arrived in the care of their Mothers to receive corrective surgery to repair their cleft lips and palates. 

One Mother caught my attention. She had two children that looked like they might be twins, except that one had one had an extreme bilateral cleft lip, and the other? A normal smile.

Gris, the mother of Dareck and Derick, came to the Surgical Mission accompanied by her mother-in-law, Francisca. They were enrolled in this surgical mission by their Health Promoter Surama in Huehuetenango, located 234 km from Antigua, where medical missions take place.

Dareck and Derick were born on December 22, 2023, and are now four months old. Gris mentioned that due to her baby’s condition, she is afraid of hurting him, and feeding him has been one of her biggest challenges. Thanks to these medical missions, she feels great economic support.

As Dareck was prepared for surgery under the skilled hands of Dr. Travis Tollefson on Tuesday, Gris’s anxiety was palpable. Handing her precious child to the waiting doctors was undoubtedly one of the hardest moments she had ever faced. With tears in her eyes, she entrusted him to their care, knowing it was for his well-being, yet unable to shake off the distress.

In that moment of vulnerability, I offered Gris a glimpse of hope and reassurance. I shared with her photos of other children who had undergone similar surgeries and were now thriving in the Recovery Room. It was a small gesture, but one that carried immense weight, easing her fears and bolstering her resolve.

When little Dareck was in the recovery room, a vibe of peace and tranquility filled Gris and Francisca. They were overjoyed that everything had gone well with his surgery. Gris carefully and tenderly fed her baby with a special syringe filled with her own breast milk, and then gave him his medicine.

Dareck and Gris’s journey is not over yet. They will return home to Huehuetenango, but in approximately six months, we hope to perform surgery on the other side of Dareck’s lip, and then on his palate. We will continue to perform home wellness visits until we are able to complete Dericks surgery, so both twins will become truly identical.

Together, we can ensure that every mother and child has access to the quality healthcare they deserve.

Thank you very sincerely for your support!

Emily López
Resource and Development Manager

Seventeen years is a long time to wait. For Londi, a 17-year-old teenager from the picturesque yet remote village of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, it certainly has been.  She lives with her mother, Marta a dedicated housewife,  her father Pedro a church pastor, and her sister.

Adolescence is tough for everyone. It’s a time filled with insecurities and the need for social acceptance. For Londi, these years have been particularly difficult due to her cleft lip and palate. She shared with the Partner for Surgery team how discrimination, difficulty eating and speaking, and her condition’s social stigma have isolated her from education and better opportunities.

Londi had been praying for the day she could undergo the life-changing surgery she so desperately needed.  Her prayers were answered when her case was brought to the attention of Julio, one of our CPC/PFS Health Promoters, through a mother participating in our Cleft Infant Nutrition Program. From that moment, Londi’s father, Don Pedro, worked closely with Julio to coordinate her surgery, bringing hope and transformation to their family.

In January, Londi and her father embarked on a journey that would transform her life. They traveled for 12 hours, taking four buses and navigating challenging roads, to reach the Hospital de Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro in Antigua, Guatemala. There, Julio guided them through the entire process, with the skilled team from Team Broken Earth Newfoundland performing the surgery. Julio’s translation of Q’eqchi’ ensured that language and cultural barriers were broken down.

Today, Londi is radiant with her new smile. Her recovery has been remarkable, and she eagerly awaits completing her transformation with a palate surgery.

Londi’s story shows the life changing impact made possible by your continuing support. Your generosity can make miracles happen.

Will you join us in creating more beautiful smiles? ❤️