Stories

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? ❤️