Juan was born in Mexico with cleft lip and palate and an eye condition Although Juan had already received some reconstructive surgeries for his cleft lip and palate by the time his family found Fresh Start in 2000, he still required a lot of medical attention in order to correct his eye, as well as improve his ability to speak, eat, and even smile. Children with cleft lip and palate require multiple surgeries as well as other treatments, such as speech therapy, in order for them to reach their full potential and live a healthy and happy life – although the cosmetic appearance of Juan’s lip was corrected, he still had a long way to go.
Since 2000, Fresh Start has been providing Juan with a large range of comprehensive medical services to help repair his conditions. In addition to receiving treatment for his cleft lip and palate, in 2009, Fresh Start volunteer surgeon Dr. Morton surgically removed Juan’s eye and it has since been replaced with an ocular prosthesis. Juan has also been attending Fresh Start’s dental clinics for over 7 years and will be attending our upcoming dental clinic on Friday, June 8th.
Juan will most likely require future reconstructive surgeries for his cleft lip and palate, but his transformation is a long process and currently Fresh Start’s medical team is focusing on his dental and ocular needs – he has now attended over 30 dental clinics and numerous eye exams! So far, Juan has received over $30,000 in donated medical care from Fresh Start’s volunteer medical professionals – including dentists, orthodontists, anesthesiologists, reconstructive surgeons, and many more.
We are all so proud of how far Juan has come and we are even more excited to see how far he will go in the future!
