Cape Town - Tygerberg Hospital collaborates with Smile Foundation and BigShoe to provide life-changing corrective surgeries to eight children during their annual Smile Week.
Among them, seven-year-old Liyana Vazana receives groundbreaking craniofacial surgery under renowned surgeon Professor Frank Graewe.
From 28 October 28 to 1 November, this initiative aimed to change the lives of eight deserving children through vital corrective surgeries.
Tarri Parfitt, CEO of the Smile Foundation, expressed deep gratitude for their partnership with BigShoe foundation, highlighting how their generous support has been crucial in making this Smile Week and many others possible.
“We would also like to express our sincere appreciation for the remarkable surgeons, medical professionals, and hospital staff at Tygerberg Hospital who are selflessly dedicating their time and expertise to give these children the critical surgery they need,” Parfitt said.
This week-long event not only focuses on medical progress but also aims to uplift the spirits of the children and their families.
Each surgery symbolises a step toward a brighter future, enabling children to face life with renewed confidence and happiness.
One of the eight children receiving corrective surgery is Liyana Vazana from Fisantekraal.
Born with a craniofacial cleft, Liyana has eyes that are positioned farther apart than usual.
Her surgery took place yesterday, where Professor Frank Graewe, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, along with his medical team, worked to bring her eyes closer together.
This procedure involves an intracranial technique to carefully separate and free both eye sockets from the surrounding soft tissue and bone.
They will also remove certain structures between her eyes to create the necessary space for this adjustment.
Liyana’s mother, Nomaphelo Vazana, was filled with emotion at the thought of her daughter potentially living a normal life again.
“I’m really happy that the operation is finally happening, we have waited for 7 years for it to happen.
“She has a very bold and strong personality, so that made it easy for me to go through this,” she explained.
Thabisa Gladile, the mother of a 6-month-old baby boy named Akuminto who was born with a cleft lip, expressed her excitement about her son’s future smile.
“I’m so nervous, but I’m glad because of his lip. Also, the children stare at him with disappointment, so I’m happy about this,” Gladile said.
Joining the upcoming Smile Week is Professor Robert Mann, a renowned Paediatric Plastic Surgeon from the University of Michigan.
Mann has pioneered several groundbreaking surgical techniques, including the Double Z-Plasty +/- Buccal Flap Repair for cleft palate.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus