"Plate" for My Son
When I woke up after giving birth to my first child, my husband told me that we had a healthy baby boy but he said he has a wound near his left eye. I said to myself, the wound would surely heal. When I was allowed to see my son, joy and sadness filled my heart at the same time. I felt the joy of giving life to a bouncing baby boy and at the same time, I felt sad because the wound that my husband told me about was not really a wound. My son has a facial defect. His left face was actually sagging and the reddish part that my husband thought a wound was part of his left eye that has no lid. The face defect extended to his upper lip.
He went through surgical operation when he was 4 months old at Cebu Doctors Hospital. Thanks to Dr. Zubiri (surgeon) and Dr. Medalle (ophthalmologist). The doctors said that he should undergo plastic surgery at the age of 7. Time flies real fast and he’s now 13 years old but the required surgery has not been done yet because of financial difficulties.
His pediatrician told me to try Operation Smile. I searched the net for contact information and luckily, I got the email address of its Philippine coordinator. We went to his clinic and he referred him to a pedia ophtha in Medical City. Then, the pedia ophtha consulted an eye surgeon specialist. The doctor said that she will just inform us through her secretary for the next step. But we never got a call. I followed up but the secretary said she will get back to me when she has the information. I just told myself that my son’s case cannot be covered by Operation Smile since he already went through an operation.
His vision is now greatly affected by this congenital condition. The ophthalmologist said that because his eyes are not aligned, he is not using his left eye. He always uses his right eye and it becomes stressed. These make his vision poor. He had to wear eyeglasses with 250/300 lens grade.
We consulted with a surgeon and he said that my son lacks bone in the left side of his face. He said that he might need a “titanium plate” to act as bone and this can be done with plastic surgery. Whoa! A “plate” he said would cost hundred thousand pesos each. He estimated that if this will be done in Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the operation would cost three hundred thousand, compared to five hundred thousand if done in other hospitals.
We went to PGH last Friday. He was checked by a general surgeon and he was referred to Plastic Surgery. We will come back on June 21 for his check up with the Plastic Surgeon with the hope that everything will be well.
I am so grateful that my son has already overcome the inferiority complex that he developed when he was a kid. I remember one time when he was in grade one, his teacher told him that she wanted to talk to me. She said that Lexel is very poor when it comes to interaction with his classmates and during class discussion. I told her that it might be because of his face defect because when we were on our way to his room, he kept his head bowed and he would turn his head to the other side when we come across other people so that he could hide his face. I talked to my son and told him not to mind other people. I told him that as long as he’s not doing anything bad, he has nothing to be ashamed of.
I tried not to, but I blamed myself for my son’s condition. I had not taken good care of myself when I was pregnant. I got sick during the first month of pregnancy and I didn’t consult a doctor. I told myself, it’s just flu. It lasted for 3 days. When I gave birth, my OB-GYNE told me that the defect must have been caused by the said flu…caused by me. But I soon realize that blaming myself will not take away that face defect.
I don’t have three hundred thousand pesos, not even fifty thousand. We just live our life everyday as it comes: hand-to-mouth. I believe that God is good. He has a greater plan. Whatever happens, it will be the best for my son…for one of the GOLDs in my life.
He went through surgical operation when he was 4 months old at Cebu Doctors Hospital. Thanks to Dr. Zubiri (surgeon) and Dr. Medalle (ophthalmologist). The doctors said that he should undergo plastic surgery at the age of 7. Time flies real fast and he’s now 13 years old but the required surgery has not been done yet because of financial difficulties.
His pediatrician told me to try Operation Smile. I searched the net for contact information and luckily, I got the email address of its Philippine coordinator. We went to his clinic and he referred him to a pedia ophtha in Medical City. Then, the pedia ophtha consulted an eye surgeon specialist. The doctor said that she will just inform us through her secretary for the next step. But we never got a call. I followed up but the secretary said she will get back to me when she has the information. I just told myself that my son’s case cannot be covered by Operation Smile since he already went through an operation.
His vision is now greatly affected by this congenital condition. The ophthalmologist said that because his eyes are not aligned, he is not using his left eye. He always uses his right eye and it becomes stressed. These make his vision poor. He had to wear eyeglasses with 250/300 lens grade.
We consulted with a surgeon and he said that my son lacks bone in the left side of his face. He said that he might need a “titanium plate” to act as bone and this can be done with plastic surgery. Whoa! A “plate” he said would cost hundred thousand pesos each. He estimated that if this will be done in Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the operation would cost three hundred thousand, compared to five hundred thousand if done in other hospitals.
We went to PGH last Friday. He was checked by a general surgeon and he was referred to Plastic Surgery. We will come back on June 21 for his check up with the Plastic Surgeon with the hope that everything will be well.
I am so grateful that my son has already overcome the inferiority complex that he developed when he was a kid. I remember one time when he was in grade one, his teacher told him that she wanted to talk to me. She said that Lexel is very poor when it comes to interaction with his classmates and during class discussion. I told her that it might be because of his face defect because when we were on our way to his room, he kept his head bowed and he would turn his head to the other side when we come across other people so that he could hide his face. I talked to my son and told him not to mind other people. I told him that as long as he’s not doing anything bad, he has nothing to be ashamed of.
I tried not to, but I blamed myself for my son’s condition. I had not taken good care of myself when I was pregnant. I got sick during the first month of pregnancy and I didn’t consult a doctor. I told myself, it’s just flu. It lasted for 3 days. When I gave birth, my OB-GYNE told me that the defect must have been caused by the said flu…caused by me. But I soon realize that blaming myself will not take away that face defect.
I don’t have three hundred thousand pesos, not even fifty thousand. We just live our life everyday as it comes: hand-to-mouth. I believe that God is good. He has a greater plan. Whatever happens, it will be the best for my son…for one of the GOLDs in my life.
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