Growing up in a supportive community, Georgina made friends and shared happy moments with her family. 

But as the second of four children in her family and the only child born with a cleft condition, Georgina was still treated differently.

While the members of their Malawian village were accepting of her cleft condition, some people in the neighboring communities often teased Georgina. 

Sometimes, even her own friends would call her hurtful names because of her appearance. While Georgina would forgive and remain friends with them, Georgina’s dad, Mtengeni, saw how this treatment affected his daughter, and he did his best to comfort her in those moments.

Mtengeni believed it was God’s will that his baby girl was born with a cleft lip, but as her father, he knew he would stop at nothing to find a way to try and end the bullying forever.

Mtengeni was no stranger to being a caregiver. His wife, Bernadette, is deaf and nonverbal. As a loving father and husband, he vowed to care for Georgina as he has always done for Bernadette. 

Shortly after Georgina’s birth, Mtengeni learned that her cleft lip could be repaired with surgery. But the expense of the procedure was far greater than he could afford as a subsistence farmer. 

Still, he refused to give up. 

When he learned that Operation Smile Malawi was conducting a surgical program in Lilongwe, Mtengeni felt closer than ever to his dream of giving his daughter a better life. But one barrier remained in his way. 

The program was five hours away by bus, and the bus fare was well beyond the family’s means to afford. Graciously, Mtengeni’s friends and neighbors knew how important this opportunity was to him and Georgina, so they lent him the money he needed to pay for the travel. 

They set off on their journey to Lilongwe. 

But Mtengeni was once again faced with the unexpected. By the time he and Georgina arrived, patient screening had concluded, and the local teams had already begun performing surgeries.  

Devastated, Mtengeni was convinced that Georgina’s chance to receive care had come and gone. 

But after hearing their story, Operation Smile medical volunteers knew what they had to do. Promptly joining together, volunteers performed Georgina’s health evaluation. Not only did they deem Georgina healthy enough for surgery, but volunteers also eagerly shared with Mtengeni that there was an opening in the surgical schedule that same day. 

Seeing herself for the first time in a mirror after surgery, the once shy 5-year-old who arrived in Lilongwe had transformed into someone with confidence and joy.

After being fully reimbursed by Operation Smile Malawi for the cost of travel, Mtengeni couldn’t wait to go back to their village and show Georgina’s new smile to everyone – especially his generous friends who’d made it all possible.

When Bernadette saw her daughter for the first time after they returned home, she couldn’t stop hugging Georgina, carrying her around like she was the most precious person in her life. 

Mtengeni was asked what he wanted to say to the people who helped change his daughter’s life. He said, “Thank you very much.” 

Georgina is much happier since receiving surgery. She’s more talkative, and her speech has greatly improved. But most importantly, the burden of living with an untreated cleft lip has been lifted.

Our promise of improving health and dignity during the COVID-19 pandemic endures. Once again, we’re providing surgery and in-person care while taking stringent measures to keep families safe. Hope is on the horizon. And we remain focused on what cleft care makes possible for children, helping them to better breathe, eat, speak and live with confidence.