Libby is 5-months old, and lives with her mother Rachel and her grandparents in Dodoma.

When Libby was born, her mother and grandparents had never seen a cleft lip/palate before, and did not believe it could be fixed. “I felt very bad,” Rachel said. “I had no idea how a child could be born with this condition until I came to CCBRT.”

She initially heard about CCBRT from a radio ad. The announcer said a child with a condition like Libby’s could be fixed. It took one day for a bus to deliver Libby and Rachel to CCBRT. 

Rachel said “I was very excited for Libby to have surgery. There are many other people in the ward and they all look very good after having surgery.”

Rachel doesn’t work, and is divorced from Libby’s father, so her parents support both mother and child. Rachel is grateful that Libby’s surgery was free of charge, and that her transportation to CCBRT was paid for by Libby’s grandparents. Had it not been for this generosity, she doesn’t think her family would have been able to afford the surgery.

Rachel hopes to send Libby to school in a few years, but doesn’t want to make any plans for her daughter beyond that. “I don’t want to make dreams for Libby. I want Libby to make her own dreams. I will be supportive of anything she wants to do in her life. She will just be normal like all the other children in her town and no one will treat her differently.”

“CCBRT has a very good quality service unlike other hospitals I have been to. I am excited for this surgery, but also the next surgery in one year. After that, I knows Libby will be healed and well again.”