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Baby Born with a Cleft Lip in Kenya: Elizabeth’s Story

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Elizabeth with her family.

26-year-old Elizabeth Nyambura has a great story to share with us today. Her son was born with a cleft lip or cleft palate and had to undergo surgery in his infancy, and while waiting for that to happen, she and her husband got wind of an opportunity where they could have the surgery done -and for free! Read her story below and remember if you too have a story that could encourage another mom, you can email it to me at maryanne@mummytales.com

This is Elizabeth’s story.

“I got married in March 2016 in a wonderful wedding. We decided to start a family immediately. Five months into our marriage, I conceived our first child. The joy that filled my heart and my home was awesome! My husband was also thrilled with the news of my pregnancy.

Sadly though, the joy was not to last long.

I remember it was a day in October when I started bleeding. At the hospital, the doctor said that it could be a miscarriage, and indeed it was -that’s how we lost our first baby. It broke our hearts but we took comfort in the words of Isaiah 54:1.

I conceived again soon after.

Throughout the pregnancy, everything was fine and I didn’t experience any complications. I did everything the doctor told me to do. I also continued with my regular activities, including serving in church, leading service as well as preaching –all of which I did till the end of my pregnancy.

I delivered my son through caesarean section, but I was in for a surprise. When I held my newborn in my arms, I noticed that he had a cleft palate/lip. I wondered whether to panic, cry, worry, or smile.

I chose to smile. Especially after the nurse told me that it was something that could be corrected. I had delivered at a hospital in Utawala (Nairobi), but with my son’s cleft lip, we were transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for observation and further management. He was placed in the Newborn Unit. In fact, my son had to be taught how to breastfeed because he just wasn’t able to latch onto the breast well because of the lip deformity.

We were referred to Kijabe Hospital for the surgery. Meanwhile, the best thing I could do for my son was having genuine strength and more love for him, even as we raised funds. Even though people stared and asked questions about the cleft palate, it never really bothered me much because I knew God had my back and He knew why my son was born that way.

As we were waiting, my boss one day sent me a poster about a medical camp at Kangundo Level V Hospital where our son’s surgery could possibly be done. We wasted no time and headed there. Well, I’m happy to say that he successfully underwent the surgery -and it was free of charge! What a blessing! He was just four months old then.

Today, just a few months after the surgery, my son is a testimony to many. When I see him, my faith in God is renewed. Wherever I go, I encourage people to believe that there’s nothing that God cannot do, since he is a God of all possibilities. The secret is trusting in Him, being patient and learning to give praise and thanks in all circumstances.

Our son is enjoying good health now. When I’m away at work or ministry, my husband takes care of our son, and I’m very grateful for his support, understanding and encouragement. He is a rare gem! I hope my story encourages someone.” –END.

And that’s Elizabeth’s story. I hope it has blessed you. If you also have a story that you’d like to share, email me at maryanne@mummytales.com because motherhood is all about learning together.

Meanwhile, do subscribe to my You Tube channel here, I’ll be posting a new video soon and you’ll definitely want to catch that 🙂

Mummy Tales is an organization dedicated to empowering its readers on different aspects of womanhood and motherhood. Mummy Tales is the top Women & Girl Empowerment blog in Kenya (BAKE 2017 awards) and 2016 top Women & Girl Empowerment blog (African Blogger Awards). Read more motherhood experiences of Kenyan moms here.

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Maryanne W. Waweru is a Kenyan mum raising her two sons in Nairobi. A journalist, Maryanne is passionate about telling stories and hopes that through her writing, her readers learn something new, feel encouraged, inspired, and appreciative of what they have in their lives. Maryanne's writing focuses on motherhood, women and lifestyle. "Telling stories is the only thing I know how to do," she says.

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