Imagine a world where every child feels confident and beautiful, no matter their appearance. That’s the world CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe (CURE Zimbabwe) in Bulawayo is working to create with our new plastic surgery service.
This service is open to all children in Zimbabwe with conditions that can be treated by plastic surgery, including burn contractures and cleft lip and palate. CURE Zimbabwe started providing this service in August 2023 and has already transformed the lives of over 80 children.
How Plastic Surgery Helps
Over 400 children are born with cleft lip and palate annually in Zimbabwe. According to a report from Smile Train, these conditions occur when a child’s lip or palate does not fuse properly during development in the womb, making it difficult for them to eat, speak, and breathe. These conditions can also lead to social isolation and stigma, hindering their ability to make friends, attend school, and participate fully in everyday activities.
Children with cleft lip and palate often face challenges in social interactions due to their appearance and speech difficulties. They may be subjected to teasing, bullying, and exclusion, making it difficult to form friendships and engage in social activities. This social isolation can significantly impact their emotional well-being and self-esteem.
Burn contractures are injuries that cause the skin to tighten and contract, making it difficult to move the affected area. They can be caused by various factors, including burns, thermal injuries, and electrical injuries.
Burn contractures can significantly impact a child’s life, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks, such as dressing, bathing, and eating. They can also lead to pain and social isolation.
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, CURE doctors are able to provide these children with world-class surgical care at no cost to their families. This greatly improves their quality of life and gives them the chance to live free of complications and ridicule.
How Plastic Surgery Is Improving the Lives of Children
One beneficiary of CURE Zimbabwe’s new plastic surgery services is seven-year-old Blessing. Blessing’s right hand was badly scarred from a burn she sustained when she was just eight months old.
She had been playing near a fire when she accidentally touched a hot coal and was severely burned. Blessing’s family could not afford to take her to the hospital, so they did their best to treat her burns at home. Sadly, the burns were so severe that they left skin contractures, which made Blessing’s hand stiff and twisted. She could not use her fingers, and her hand was permanently closed in a fist.
