Naseem and his daughter Sarah traveled to the West Bank earlier this spring to meet with doctors from UPA’s Embracing Life Program. Because of restricted movements, Palestinians like Naseem and his family are unable to travel without long delays at checkpoints between Hebron and Ramallah. Sarah was born with a cleft lip and a cleft palate, and at just two years old, her parents were struggling to feed her.

As part of National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month, we are sharing highlights from UPA’s Embracing Life Program.

“Initially, there were difficulties with the feeding, and although we received the necessary instruction, it is our first time having a child with CLP and it was shocking for us,” said Naseem.

The travel delays and movement restrictions are burdensome, and we will overcome them said Naseem. Sarah underwent two surgeries to repair her cleft lip and cleft palate and will require a speech evaluation. She may still need other extensive procedures as she develops.

“With the presence of a great team of UPA, we were able to bypass these difficulties, especially after we met other parents with cleft children,” said Naseem. Learn more about the Embracing Life Program.