By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Kumasi, Sept. 23, GNA – Adolescents and young people with cleft lip and palate have been motivated to leave beyond low self-esteem and aspire to lead and thrive in society.
They must see stigmatisation as a mere situation, which could be encountered by anyone in society regardless of being born with birth defects or otherwise.
These affirmations were given during a-day’s workshop for adolescents and youth who had been treated for cleft lip and palate in Kumasi.
The workshop afforded participants to ask questions and share everyday experiences with specialists in psychology and social work and how to tackle challenges when confronted with one.
Professor Peter Donkor, a Maxillofacial Surgeon, and President of the Ghana Cleft Foundation, said from his experience in many communities, children born with cleft were hidden and with some who had not seen a cleft before, the parents get ostracised and consider that as a curse with superstition and stigmatisation about it.
He indicated that “the situation is better now compared to a decade or two ago because specialists are seeing many more children born with it and brought into the hospital to seek care.
We need to continue creating greater awareness, more education in the community so that the gap can be closed,” he appealed.
Prof. Donkor said surgeries conducted were very successful, adding that, “we have trained the surgeons locally, certified to provide services every day.
Although there are few times where complications occur, they have the skills to manage the situations,” he said.
Prof. Donkor described Cleft as a deformity that was present at birth, saying it was not something superstitious or curse, so families must be supported.
He said when these children eventually received treatment, they generally do well in some cases, the speech being affected due to irregular speech therapy.
Dr Josephine Mensah, the Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ghana Medical Center, recounting her experience as a lady born with cleft, encouraged the participants to keep their heads high and aspire for greatness.
She said the condition was part of them and they must refuse to be defined by that, encouraging them to build self-confidence and excel at every level of their lives.
Ms Rita Adjei, the Center Manageress, Edwenase Rehabilitation Center, re-echoed to the participants to overcome stigma associated with cleft conditions.
Ms Ernestina Tabi, the Assistant Administrator, Ghana Cleft Foundation and a cleft patient, advised those living with the condition not to give up, but rather, focus and achieve all the goals they set for themselves in life by attaching to something unique that distinguished them from others.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/ Christabel Addo