Bringing back the smile

WHEN Patrick Lim was born in 1995, his father Lim Eang Boon was shocked by his son's appearance. Patrick suffers from a facial anomaly, something that occurs in 3% of babies born worldwide.
With the help of his brother, Lim later found a doctor in Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur who started treating Patrick to overcome this congenital condition.
Since then, Patrick has been going to the hospital for the past 18 years for treatment.
Craniofacial anomalies (CFAs) are a diverse group of deformities in the growth of the head and facial bones.
It is estimated that one in every 600 babies is born with some sort of facial deformities.
The causes are not known and treatments could take years, depending on each case.
Among the more common CFAs are:
cleft lip and palate – a separation in the lip and the palate;
craniosynostosis – premature closure of the soft spot in an infant's skull;
hemifacial microsomia – a condition in which the tissues on one side of the face are underdeveloped;
vascular malformation – an abnormal growth composed of blood vessels; and
hemangioma – a tumour that causes a red birthmark.
During a press conference at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Patrick, who is now 19 and studying business at a local university, said that he has become more confident with each treatment.
This shy, soft-spoken teen is now looking forward to a bright future – even though he still has more treatments to undergo.
Dr Kim K. Tan, a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, said: "I have met many patients with facial anomalies and they are unable to lead normal lives due to social discrimination.
"Patients lose their confidence and, in many instances, they isolate themselves due to embarrassment.
"The treatment is very complicated as it may involve the orthodontist, plastic surgeon, ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon, ophthalmologist, dental surgeon, paediatrician, neurosurgeon and the anaesthesiologist.
"And it may take a few years to treat depending on the nature of the deformity and the complexity of the particular case."
As such, in conjunction with the hospital's 40th anniversary celebration, it recently launched the Kempen Senyum (Smile Campaign), under the auspicious of the Khazanah IHH Healthcare Fund, Life Renewed.
Tan added that he is really glad that through the fund, they will be treating 40 cases and helping these patients to walk with pride in society.
One of these cases is Nur Aimuni Musfirah Mustafa, eight, who has been a patient of Tan since she was three months' old.
Her father, Mustafa Mat Arshad, said that people come up with many explanations as to why his daughter was born with her facial anomaly.
Tan said those with cleft lip and palate can undergo surgery at three months old while those with facial cleft at five or six months old.
"Surgeries are much more difficult when they are babies as their structures are small," he added.
"[But] the benefit of getting surgery when they are young is that you can restore them to normality early. The benefits outweigh the risk."
Also, the psychological effects will be much less, as patients with this condition are often ostracised by society.
That is why the hospital is reaching out to the underprivileged groups for them to gain access to healthcare facility and treatment in this campaign, said Anwar Anis, the CEO of Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
"Though we are targeting facial anomalies through Kempen Senyum, over the next two years, we plan to identify other medical disciplines that need to be funded," he added.
For more on Kempen Senyum, call 03-2296 0773 or 012-389 6955.