Finding Hope: Alfya’s Story

Before her son Alfya was born, Heratu had never met someone with cleft. She did know people with the condition were not easily accepted to the community. Alfya’s birth was not what Heratu and her husband had imagined. It was difficult to look at her newborn, and her husband was hesitant to hold him.

In the weeks that followed, Heratu searched relentlessly for an explanation. Why had her son been born this way? She began to wonder whether she was responsible, a question that weighed on her.

Heratu didn’t know how to feed Alfya, and her worries deepened. With nowhere else to turn, she returned to the hospital where he was born, hoping someone there could help her. Finally, an answer. A nurse told her something she hadn’t known was possible: specialized cleft care existed, and it was available nearby, through Yekatit 12 Hospital, TC’s local partner. Heratu went the very next day.

That first visit changed everything. Heratu met with Abeba, a social worker at Yekatit 12, who gently addressed the beliefs and misconceptions she had grown up hearing, and explained what ongoing cleft care would look like for Alfya. For the first time since her son’s birth, Heratu felt hopeful. Her husband soon began joining her for counseling sessions, and together they slowly grew more confident navigating their son’s care, knowing a specialized team would be with them at every stage.

Since then, Alfya has undergone cleft surgery. With continued support from Yekatit 12‘s care team, Heratu and her husband are now looking ahead to the next phase of Alfya’s treatment, including speech therapy.

To learn more about Speech Therapy and other important elements of the Circle of Care, click here.