Pearl's Palate Surgery

Pearl had her palate surgery on Monday 6/14. The surgery went longer than expected, but everything went well. The surgery was scheduled for 2 hours, but it lasted 3.5 hours. Our surgeon Dr. Oh was hoping to just "rearrange" her palate muscles to close her palate, without using artificial skin...... We later learned that there were some problem and Dr. Oh had to use a small piece of artificial skin to patch the hole. Pearl stayed at the hospital for one night, and she has been recovering very well.




Pearl is, again, on liquid only diet feeding through a syringe, and she doesn't like it at all. With her 1st surgery experience, she seems to know the deal - as soon as she saw the syringe, she started to cry and resist! She would always point to the fridge or other food items on the counter to signal us she wanted those (solid) food.... We feel for her, and only wish there was other way....... In order to minimize temptation, we have made an order in our house that no one can eat in front of Pearl! ha,ha.... It is so funny to watch how Pui Pui sneaked out with an ice-cream bar and Yan Yan tried to hide eating bread facing the kitchen counter.....


I am so glad we were able to witness Pearl's transformation, from before to after, and be there for her through her two surgeries when she was in pain and fear. When we filled out our adoption application, we were originally opened to "repaired cleft lip/palate" condition only, and were a little scared when we found out Pearl had an unrepaired lip and palate..... But now we feel so grateful and blessed for this experience to walk this tough part of her life with her, and we wouldn't choose any other way.

During surgery at the hospital, I watched a promotional video clip of OperationSmile.org (an organization of medical professionals travel to other countries to perform cleft repair for children). It brought me to tears when I saw so many children in other parts of the world desperately needed cleft repair. While the repair procedure is so accessible and a relatively simple procedure here in the US, it is completely out of reach in many other parts of the world. In that particular video clip, the team traveled to Honduras. Over 350 children, all with cleft lip/palate, just like Pearl, waiting outside the hospital, some traveled over 11 hours. Due to limited supplies and resources, the team was only able to perform 150 surgeries on that trip - only 150 out of over 350 children received repair. The team had to turn away the rest of the waiting children, and told them to come back next year..... I can see the pain on their parents' faces.......I can almost feel the pain.....

All day that day, I couldn't stop one thought in my mind - I want Ben to be a doctor.... When I saw San and the children later that day, I shared this with them, and I share my dream of one day Ben will help these helpless children with his medical skills, give them new smiles, show them love and care, show them hope ...........

Of course, Ben looked at me like I was poisoned or drunk... ha,ha....

I don't know if it is God's will for Ben to be a doctor. But I think (as mom, of course!) he definitely has what it takes - creative, good with little kids, compassionate, caring, careful, persistent (a.k.a. very stubborn!)and ... he doesn't hate biology! Ha,ha.... ~ Keep dreaming, Mom....