Suc

Suc was a 44-year-old farmer who had never had his large cleft lip repaired. He had lived with the humility of his deformity his entire life. Even his name, "Suc," which means "cleft" in Vietnamese, was a constant reminder of his deformity. For nearly four decades he has lived as a subsistence farmer, never able to afford the cost of a cleft lip repair.

When our team screened him on April 10, we found him to be an affable, gentle, and muscular man. He even laughed about his delight that he found love and married for the first time in his life just two years ago. When it came to his considering having his surgery done, however, he became very serious because he had no funds to cover his costs. When he was assured that his surgery would be done free of charge he committed to having the lip closure done. True to his nature, he remained quiet yet grateful in the recovery room.

Once he was ready for dismissal he was eager to return to his wife to show her his new appearance. He shyly even admitted that maybe now they would consider having children of their own.