Be Team International Restores a Family’s Joy

Although tiny Gul Naz was born to a poor family in Afghanistan's Logar Province, it should have been a joyous occasion. But joy turned to shock when her mother saw her. The baby had a cleft lip and palate. The mother was so stunned and distraught that she passed out. The baby remained in the hospital for many days until she was stabilized. A doctor working in the hospital called a friend at Cure hospital, a Be Team International facility in Kabul. He learned that the child would be eligible for free corrective surgery in six months. Still, Gul Naz's mother and father dreaded the idea of showing their new baby to their family and friends. They wondered how the others in their village would react. Gul Naz's father shared how "her mother hid her from all our relatives. When some of them came to visit, she would carry Gul Naz to the barn. She felt so shameful and did not want anyone to see her." That changed six months later when the baby underwent surgery to correct both her lip and palate. Now, she and her entire family are happy and very thankful for Cure hospital.