Qasim was six months old when he first came to our hospital in Kabul. This is his story.
Here is something we love to say: since 2006, Smile Train has partnered with our hospital in Kabul to provide free cleft lip and palate surgery to children and families with nowhere else to turn. Their grants have made possible not only the surgeries themselves but the training of Afghan plastic surgeons and programs in nutrition and speech therapy that address what surgery alone cannot fix. A recent awareness grant from Smile Train is helping us reach even more families, spreading the word that this care exists and is free. It is one of the most enduring things we are part of, and one of the most joyful.
Qasim is one of those children.
Qasim was born with a cleft lip and palate. Families like his find their way to our hospital in Kabul through something the Afghan hospital team has spent more than 20 years building: a network of trusted relationships that reaches across Afghanistan. Doctors, midwives, and health workers throughout the country know the hospital and know what families will find there. Skilled surgeons. Genuine care. And a team that will not turn anyone away regardless of ability to pay. That trust is not accidental. It is the result of years of showing up, earned through presence, consistency, and respect. And it travels in quieter ways too. Families who have been cared for here bring the news home with them. Village to village. Parent to parent. A child who came back healthy is its own kind of invitation.
His father, Abdul, shared what those early days were like. “Qasim was born with a cleft lip and palate. We consulted a doctor for treatment, and he referred us to Cure Hospital. His cleft lip surgery was performed when he was six months old. His cleft palate surgery was completed when he turned one year old.”
“It was very painful for us to see our child in that condition. He could not be fed properly and cried throughout the day. We had to feed him with a spoon, and it was very difficult for both him and our family.”
The team at our hospital has been doing this work for so many years. For each family that walks through the door, they bring both clinical skill and genuine warmth. Abdul felt that.
“The doctors and staff at Cure Hospital treated us with kindness, respect, and compassion throughout the process. I would like to sincerely thank the doctors, the staff, and Cure Hospital for their support and care.”
Today, Qasim is a healthy, active young boy. His scar is barely visible. When our team visited recently, he was kicking a bright yellow soccer ball around the garden. It is the kind of ordinary, joyful scene that is the whole point of this work.
Qasim’s surgery was possible because his family found their way to our hospital in Kabul. That does not happen by accident. Our Afghan hospital team has spent years making sure it does. And a recent awareness grant from Smile Train made that effort more visible than ever. Hospital vehicles on the roads carry prominent signage. Health providers throughout the community have brochures and posters. Families are being reached through social media. Wherever a parent has quietly wondered whether help exists for their child, we want the answer to find them. We are deeply grateful to Smile Train for knowing, as we do, that surgery is only part of the story. The first step is simply making sure families know the door is open, as it always has been.
Somewhere out there is the next Qasim. We want to find him.