Operation gives hope to young girl

Caption:  (R) Mektil Laiwo, Anton Laiwo (father), and Head Surgeon of Operation of Hope team Dr Roy Kim pose for a picture.

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, December 24, 2014 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

AT 13 years of age young Mektil Laiwo from West New Britain (WNB) now has a reason to smile after undergoing a successful operation by Operation of Hope and the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby.

She was the one very deeply affected psychologically by her condition, and the operation has give her a positive outlook to face the world.

Speaking from Buluma, WNB, a very happy Anton Laiwo was overjoyed with praise for the visiting surgery team and the PIH crew before departing for WNB.

“Thirteen years of her life of shying away from people because of her cleft lip condition is now a thing of the past,” her father said.

“I want to thank our provincial government for their assistance in bringing us over and also the people from PIH and Operation of Hope.”

He pointed out that the arrangement was giving hope not only to the children to have a normal life but also to parents who were living with the pain of not being able to do anything to help their kids.

Anton also called on the government to seriously look at making the procedure available in the country, especially the rural areas and provinces where cleft lip and palate patients are.

He added that the procedure has given them one of the best Christmas Presents ever, which was to give their daughter a smile that she could give to others and not be ashamed.

Operation of Hope is set to make the visit an annual one for children in the country who suffer from the disfigurement to have hope to have a normal life as much as possible.