Cleft Palate baby

Hi everyone,

We have groups that come down and do cleft palates. 

There is one coming to Hermano Pedro hospital in Antigua that we may be able to get this baby in for July...if she is 10lbs in weight.  That will be a stretch because she is only about 7 lbs now.

Then COTA...Children of the Americas will be coming sometime this year....Jody ...who is on this list will be able to tell us when  She has already contacted me when she saw the photos and said it was a more complicated case.   For COTA the babies have to weigh 20 lbs which will take a bit longer.  Unfortunately, the COTA clinics are not usually located near us and we have to travel which has more transportation costs. 

Then Salud y Paz also bring in medical groups  and they will probably have a group sometime this year or early next year who will do it.  They are located closer to us. 

Some groups charge a little . 

In Hermano Pedro...there are costs involved because we have to travel to the hospital, take the mother and child to the consultation, do some tests...which do have to be paid for, and there is a small cost for the hospital.  The mother does not speak Spanish so we have to send a translator with her.  The hospital will have an accommodation for the mother but the translator will have to have a room paid to sleep over and food.  This is true for just about any clinic we will send the baby too.

Some groups will charge nothing...like COTA , others make a small charge, like SAlud y Paz...which is about $8 US   and then others charge as much as $250 US.

Jody tells me that this baby's case will be more complicated and so I don't know what that will involve.

But there will be needs for the baby before and afterwards ...for milk for the baby, for food because the father will have to take time off work to accompany the mother...and that means if he is not working, there is no money coming in for the family, transportation and cost of food while the family is at whichever clinic will be available for them.    Then there should be follow up afterwards, the baby might need medicine or a medical check up by a doctor.  These are the costs that really add up for us. 

Thank you so much for thinking about this baby and how to help her,

Sharon

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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