Smiling is Mohamed’s Destiny

Mohamed’s parents anxiously awaited the day of his birth, expecting it to be the most joyous of their lives. But when the big moment finally came, they felt only shock. He had a cleft.

With time the family realized that their son was a gift. At that time, they believed that God must have destined Mohamed to live with a cleft, so they decided not to seek treatment for him.

Those feelings changed when Mohamed started school and his classmates bullied and harassed him without mercy because of his cleft. As the years went on, no matter how hard the boy studied, his grades remained poor because the other children just would not let him concentrate. He cried that every day was a nightmare and begged his parents to let him quit school and stay home.

They were desperate to help but felt there was nothing they could do — until they learned about an organization called Smile Train that would cover the full cost of all the cleft treatment their son needed, right at nearby Misr Hospital in Sohag. They knew a miracle when they saw it and left immediately.

The family met with Dr. Karam Allam, who examined Mohamed, then quickly scheduled him for surgery a few days later.

It was a great success. And when Mohamed’s parents saw his healed face for the first time, they had no doubt that was how God wanted him to smile.

After this experience, the family understood that cleft treatment saves children’s lives and makes it possible for them not only to learn and play, but often also to eat, breathe, and speak. They vowed to spread their story to their neighbors and direct other families in need to receive Smile Train-sponsored treatment from Dr. Allam at Misr Hospital.