Kelvin's Case is Complete!

There are a lot of theories out there on what causes cleft lips. Some say it’s a combination of environmental and genetic factors, some believe it’s possibly due to medication the mother had taken during pregnancy, and other speculate it could be caused by exposure to chemicals or viruses during pregnancy. No one is one hundred percent sure, but we do know that it happens because there is a lack of tissue that forms to cover the cleft areas. Science and anatomy aside, though, it’s a really challenging defect to have for both the mother and the child, as one-year-old Kelvin Mtumodzi and his mother can testify.

Besides the unsightliness of the gap in his upper lip, Kelvin has a lot of trouble eating, as the food falls right out of his mouth. Though he is not fully aware of what is going on around him yet, and thankfully so, Kelvins mom says that people often make fun of her son and his cleft lip in front of her and then they turn to make fun of her, as if it is her fault her son was born that way. Dealing with this is all new to the family, as no one they know has ever had this condition before.

We are glad they have come to CURE early. Our doctors will be able to fix his lip and consequently rid the family of the social and personal struggles it has caused them, before Kelvin is even away it was a problem!