By Kulsum Mustafa, TwoCircles.net,
Varanasi: Zeeshan Qureshi is just four months old. The first born to Nargis and Imran instead of heralding joy and celebrations, brought to the family members sadness and pain. Zeeshan was born with a cleft deformity. His upper lip is partially slit giving his face a peculiar look – that is almost revolting.
Shaken to the core the parents, who hail from Ghazipur, some 100 odd km from Varanasi, were the most affected. It took time for the reality to sink in.
Three-year-old Mohd Umer siddiqui with his parents
“Zeeshan’s birth was disturbing. We had never seen a cleft child. It was all so unexpected, the whole family went into mourning,” said 25 year old Imran, who runs a battery shop. Not financially very well off, the family was not sure they would ever be able to afford the expensive surgery for their new born. Several months passed by but their pain did not subside. Relatives and friends started avoiding visiting their place. Those who did visit often made sarcastic comments about the child. They called him a bad omen, a curse upon the family. Nargis went into depression.
Then one day Imran read about free cleft surgery at a hospital in Varanasi. Imran and his wife decided to set off on this journey of hope. The surgery that could change both his face and face of his child.
Zeeshan wih his mother Nargis Qureshi
The fact that the threesome arrived at the Dr Subodh Kumar Singh’s G S Memorial Surgery Hospital and Trauma Centre in Varanasi on November 21, the day the hospital was celebrating the annual ‘Muskan Festival’ (Smile festival), seemed an auspicious start.
Affiliated to Smile Train — an international NGO that supports free treatment in 76 countries for cleft children, the clinic was decorated like a bride. The hospital, situated in the heart of the Holy City, is decorated with balloons and buntings on this special day. There were hundreds of cleft kids with their parents. Many had come from far off states like Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. There were lots of foreign guests too. A big pandal had been set up for the celebrations. But alongside the celebrations work of registration of new children was going on. Directions on how to register were being regularly being given on public address system. Imran stood in the queue too.
Just a little away from him was standing a woman. She had her three-year-old son Umar Siddiqui with her. A cleft child Umar was operated two years ago.
“He is absolutely fine. We have come here for a palate surgery that had to be done afterwards, said Mehmood, a farmer who had come from Jaunpur some 100 km away.
“Cleft is neither gender, region nor community specific. It can happen to anyone. In India there is a backlog of 10 lakh cleft children every year,” said Dr Jamshed Khan, plastic surgeon at the hospital.
Terming it “the most satisfying surgery” he said the cleft operation gives maximum job-satisfaction. “From misery to joy it is simply a matter of just an hour’s surgery. The transformation in both the physical and psychological is unbelievable.” At G S nearly five operations of cleft are done daily.
Dr Subodh Kumar Singh is looked upon by grateful parents as ‘the miracle surgeon for cleft in India.”
Known as the surgeon who put the smile on the lips of Pinkie — the protagonist of Oscar winning documentary ‘Smile Pinkie” Dr Singh has through Pinkie given all cleft patients a hope. He has made them believe that cleft is not permanent, that there is a new life waiting for them after a simple operation. He is the doctor who has made gifting smiles his business.
India’s first toll-free helpline for cleft and palate patients was launched by the vice president of Smile Train, Mrs. Delois Greenwood at the hospital recently. Ms Greenwood and a galaxy of Smile Train associates and supporters were in Varanasi to attend the annual ‘Smile Festival.’ These included Television star Jane Kaez Mareck, Meg, Karen, Robert, Yuan, US industrialists Mr. Clark Kokich, Lisa Kokich Strain, Suzie Kokich Strain.
Overwhelmed by the traditional welcome and the sight of hundreds of cleft children, some just a few months old Lisa had to fight back tears as she said how happy she was to be part of the endeavor that is giving “children another chance.”