MANILA, Philippines — Children born with cleft lip and palate can literally smile again after their physical disability was repaired – free of charge – by doctors from Germany, New Zealand and Australia over the past week. Julie Ann Macawili, 18, who had a cleft lip since birth, shared that she got used to being taunted as a child and at school due to her physical disability. Julie Ann’s cleft lip had been stitched when she was an infant. There was a “very high level of need” for cleft palate procedures to be done in the Philippines, said craniofacial pediatric plastic surgeon Tristan de Chalain from New Zealand. “What we do doesn’t cost anything for the children,” ASK director Via Hoffman said.

Source: Philippine Star March 17, 2018 16:00 UTC