Unless her disfigurement, and speech and hearing problems, are addressed, she will limited within the confines of an unfair and ignorant society. No amount of love and affection will completely address those problems.
Your right No amout of love and affection will address those problems and that is why Children with cranio deformities have intensive Speech therapy from a very young age. If they have a cleft palate (which most do) they will start as soon as it is repaired.
My daughter had her palate repaired at 9 months (again a world 1st) I believe in the USA they repair around 1 year of age. She started her speech therapy 3 months later (once a week) and then 3 years of age twice a week. She has had speech therapy ever since (except between the ages of 9-12)because as they reconstruct of course things get moved. Speech therapy just becomes a way of life.
from article...
SPEECH AND YOUR CLEFT PALATE CHILD
There is general agreement that the major potential handicap for a child with cleft palate is a "speech defect." Defective speech was a common accompaniment in cleft palate children in the past.
There are three major physical problems, which may lead to defective speech for children with cleft palate. These are:
(1) Inadequate Palatal Function
(2) Dental Problems
(3) Hearing Loss.
So you work with speech impaired, Ok then you should read this article it explains it all. It could also be benificial as many speech problems can be cause by defective soft palates and dental probs.
http://www.lucknowplasticsurgery.com/cleftlip.htm
Yes, the child is lucky to be born into a family that is so obviously caring and loving, but she is unlucky to be born into a society that isn't as accepting as her parents are.In the video, when the mother talks of the girl who labeled the child as "disgusting", you could really see the hurt in the mother's face
Another true statement BUT it also means YOU also are as unlucky to be born into this society. Sadly the parents will suffer many hurts,many tears, yes society is cruel. What is the saddest thing of all though is that society knows its cruel and yet it just shrugs it shoulders and keeps on going the same way
INTOLERANT
What do people/society expect us parents to do when our children are born this way???? Weve given birth, its our baby, you dont throw babies away.
Give them up?????? Lock them away???? Hide them so society doesnt feel uneasy??????
I know i'm sounding hard here BUT we (the cranio crowd) have to learn to deal with the hurt. Easier said than done BUT for our kids sake we have to find a way. You dont run and hide because you know theres *advertiser censored******** out there in the world. You learn to stay clear of them, you learn to ignore them (lol i'm still learning that one). The last thing we parents want is for the *advertiser censored******* to deprive our kids of living life. We find the strength and we teach our kids how to find it too.
Jacobi the most important point here is, she is their daughter, their flesh and blood, they love her. They are committed to her and her well being.
The parents will toughen and their little girl will sadly find out how cruel people are but she will toughen as well She will also learn how loving and tolerant her parents are and hopefully others in society as well.
No matter what country you come from the basic procedures for cranio reconstruction are the same. You do not have 1 doctor/specialist you have MANY.
Surgeons,Orthodontist, Speech Pathologists,ENT,Audiologists COUNSELORS,Therapists etc etc. The group of specialists are called a FELLOWSHIP and everyone in this group plan the stages of the reco.
This family will be well supported by the medical people/therapists, they will become 2nd family.
I can see all you are saying Jacobi but the bottom line is our kids are in this world and we parents love them and we will fight society everytime it judges our kids. Its not all doom and gloom for our kids and yes our kids will not always be accepted in your world. Thats why we make OUR OWN and we support our own.
BTW the photo you linked to is a good one. Let me say this, they can make jaw, cheeks and eye sockets for her. That will lift her face considerably. Go check out some websites you will be amazed on how much can be done.