Abena's Story

Abena was born with a cleft lip and palate. The family come from a town in the Central Region. The first time she attended the KATH Cleft Clinic, she was accompanied by quite a sizeable delegation including a worried mother, a crying father and an anxious grandmother. Abena’s mother narrated that her husband was pressuring her to throw the baby away in the bush because he could not see how such a cursed baby could be raised in their home.

The mother had refused to do what her husband had proposed and this had generated a dispute involving the extended family. Following a family meeting the parents were advised to travel to Kumasi to see if anything could be done about AA’s condition.

Fortunately, when they arrived at the clinic, they saw other children with similar deformities; some had been treated while others were waiting for treatment. The Foundation provided funds for formula feeds as the child could not suckle due to the cleft palate. They were also supported towards transportation costs. Abena underwent surgery and recovered well. Needless to say, they are now a happy family. When they attend for post-surgery review, it is the father who holds the baby as his wife looks on with satisfaction and comments “you know he will not even let her sit, he is so obsessed with her”.