10/08/2024
Meet 6-month-old Isabella and her dad, Colin, both cleft palate patients who have received care at the Womenâs and Childrenâs Hospital. đ„
While Colinâs cleft lip and palate came as a surprise to his parents when he was born in Port Pirie Hospital in 1993, Colin and his fiancĂ©, Zoe, were made aware of Isabellaâs cleft palate during a routine ultrasound scan. Much like her father all those years ago, 6-month-old Isabella had her first of several surgeries this month, a lip repair surgery.
As a father of a cleft baby and a former cleft palate patient, Colin has inspiring advice to give to other families:
âWhen I found out, I was concerned for her because I knew what I had gone through, and as a father, I didnât want her to have to go through that. I was concerned about the operations she would have and then thereâs the possibility of bullying and just knowing how people could beâ
âAs a cleft palate patient, you face a lot of challenges quite early on in life. I didnât have a lot of bullying, but as a kid, you do look around and notice that your lip isnât the same as everyone elseâsâ
âMy message to other parents is, yes, it is a big thing to have your child born with cleft lip palate. You have feelings of âwhy has this happened to me?â. But really, your child is the one who needs to deal with this. They have their own hopes and dreams and itâs your job to make sure they know theyâre as capable as everyone elseâ
âWhen you think of your kids, you want the best for them. I just keep reminding myself that sheâs going to have a whole full life and that this is an opportunity to teach her how to live and instil in her that she will live an amazing lifeâ
âAs a father and former cleft palate patient myself, I just want to support Isabella and make sure she lives the same life as someone that was not born with a cleft palateâ.
To find out more about our cleft and craniofacial services, visit https://www.wch.sa.gov.au/patients-visitors/children/surgical-care/cleft-and-craniofacial-sa
