This is my niece, Blessing.
Can you keep her in your prayers? She'll be undergoing surgery next Thursday thanks to The Smile Train.
Did you know that in many countries around the world babies born with cleft lip and cleft pallet are thought to be cursed and often discarded? This is the story of my niece. Can you imagine discarding this beautiful child? Thank the Lord she was not killed by her mother or village at birth. Thank the Lord someone in her village had the good sense to call an orphanage and ask them to come pick her up when she was a month old and not being fed. Thank the Lord my brother and sister-in-law were able to foster this little Blessing. Thank the Lord she is now able to eat (with difficulty) and gaining weight. Thank the Lord she was chosen to have surgery.
This surgery gives children in the third world who are born with cleft lip and cleft pallet a chance at life. A chance they would not otherwise have.
While we cannot understand why someone would believe that a child was cursed because they have cleft lip or cleft pallet, we can understand the need for surgery. We can understand that a parent in the third world could work their entire life and never be able to afford this surgery. While you say a prayer for my niece, can you consider giving so that more children will be able to have this life altering and sometimes life saving surgery?
Because, while this smile is infectious…
…the surgeries ahead of her are necessary.
We love you Blessing and I can't wait until the day I can actually hold you in my arms! Your cousins are praying for you!
And while you are praying with us, can you pray that my brother and sister in law will be able to adopt Blessing? Thank you from the bottom of my heart!