The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital will give 14 children from disadvantaged families, who suffer from facial anomalies, life-changing facial surgeries this July, which is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month.
The Smile Foundation, which is coordinating the surgeries, said during Covid-19 restrictions were placed on surgeries like these, noting that July brings with it a much-needed alleviation of the backlog of corrective surgeries.
The surgeries are scheduled for Smile Week between July 25-29.
“One of the children undergoing surgery is nine-month-old Victor from Bloemfontein’s informal settlement Caleb Motshabi in Mangaung. Little Victor was born with Apert’s Syndrome – a rare genetic disorder affecting the skull, face, hands and feet,” said Smile Foundation.
“The condition presents premature closure of the skull [craniosynostosis], which causes a cosmetic deformity of an abnormal head shape. This makes children extremely self-conscious and also causes pressure on the developing brain, leaving little room for it to grow, which can lead to the disruption of their intellectual development, as well as chronic headaches.”
It added that little Victor’s development is delayed compared to other children his age and that he was having difficulty breathing and struggles to swallow food without choking. His mother and grandmother, who care for him, depend on social grants for his wellbeing.
“On Tuesday, 26 July, professor Tim Christofides, who is the peadiatric plastic and reconstructive surgeon from CMJAH [Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital], together with Dr Jason Labuschagne and Dr Denis Kitaviuija Mutyaba, both neurosurgeons from the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, will perform Victor’s life-changing surgery.”
Currently, there are less than 10 surgeons in South Africa who are proficient in performing craniofacial procedures.
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