Cleft – a malformation
Cleft is the most common congenital deformation. The cause for this deformity is supposed to be a complicated combination of environmental factors and hereditary dispositions.
For example, folic acid deficiency, smoking and drinking alcohol during the early phase of pregnancy can cause cleft deformation. Cleft children, however, do not only suffer from speaking, hearing, and breathing problems. Many of those affected children die from undernourishment because the palatal cleft prevents from nursing or breast feeding them normally.
But, above all, cleft children are excluded from normal life due to their deformed face which often leads to total isolation and loneliness.
Additional information
Official name:
Republic of India
Size:
3,287,000 km² (9 times the size of Germany)
Population:
Approx. 1.1 billion inhabitants
Religion:
Hinduism (ca. 80.5%), Islam (13.4%), Christianity (ca. 2.3%), Sikhism, Buddhism
Language:
Hindi, English, and 21 other recognized languages
Capital:
New Delhi (ca. 14 mio. inhabitants)
Geography:
South Asia
Climate:
Rainy season/monsoon (July-September), hot and dry season (April-June), seasons in North India change much more
(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany)
Only 400 EUR for a new face
Help for Indian children with cleft lip and palate
Deformed. Isolated. No chance for a better life?
On this world, every two minutes a child is born with a cleft lip and palate. In richer countries, these deformations are already treated surgically in babyhood. However, people cannot afford surgeries
as medical treatment in poorer countries. In addition to health problems, this means lifelong mockery and isolation to the children.
Surgery: New courage to face life
The first surgical action always is closing the cleft lip (three to four months of age). Cleft palates require additional surgery. The ideal situation would be an expert team caring for the children during their first 15-20 years of life.
This is how the Peter Ustinov Foundation helps
Together with our partner, the German association “Deutsche Cleft-Kinder-Hilfe e.V.“, we are able to establish the prerequisites required for the surgical treatment of cleft children in India. A surgery opening the chance for a new and better life for cleft children sums up to approximately 400 EUR. The Peter Ustinov Foundation additionally provides funds for procuring medical equipment, drugs, as well as surgical dressing and bandages. Furthermore, the Foundation promotes the training of local doctors and the education of people in order to dispose of possible prejudices towards people suffering from cleft lip and palate.
The Peter Ustinov Foundation supports this and other projects contributing to the well-being of destitute children and their families. Please help us to realise our humanitarian efforts and aims, and give those children a hopeful future.
Donation account: 901 801 301 Bank code: 250 100 30
Bank: Deutsche Postbank AG
