- A young boy receives life-changing surgery from charity repairing cleft lips and restoring dignity for patients often stigmatised
TOAMASINA (CONVERSEER) – Three-year-old Armane from rural Madagascar can now smile without shame, thanks to a life-changing cleft lip surgery provided by international charity Mercy Ships.
For his mother, Roseline, the day of Armane’s birth was filled with both relief and fear. After a long and difficult labor in a remote rice field, she was handed her baby, but only after the birth attendants tried to hide his face.
“I gave birth to many children, but none of them were like him,” Roseline said. “When I finally saw him, I kissed him and cried. I was worried. People in the village said he was cursed, not human.”
In her village, no one had ever seen a cleft lip before. The condition, a birth defect that occurs when the lip doesn’t form fully in the womb, left Armane struggling to eat, speak, and be accepted.
Globally, an estimated 4.1 million people live with orofacial clefts, contributing to more than 400,000 lost disability-adjustment life years (DALYs). According to a study published by the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, most of the children affected live in low-and middle-income countries.
In many high-income settings, babies with cleft lip are diagnosed before birth and receive corrective surgery within the first three months of life. But in low- income countries, access to safe, affordable surgery remains out of reach for thousands of families.
Roseline tried everything she could: “I had to lie down on one side when I needed to breastfeed him because he could not suck on the cleft lip, he wouldn’t get any milk,” she said. “He was very weak; we had to give him vitamins, and he struggled to speak too.”
Despite the stigma, Roseline and her husband never gave up hope. When she later encountered Mercy Ships volunteers and saw photos of other children with cleft lips, children who looked just like Armane, hope ignited. After a four-day journey to the Africa Mercy, they reached the floating hospital ship docked in Toamasina. There, Armane would finally receive the free surgery that would transform his life.
“This is a surgery that takes just one hour, but changes everything,” said American nurse Mollie Felder, who cared for Armane after his operation. “It’s not just about appearance, it’s about dignity, confidence, being seen.”
At the hospital’s HOPE Center, a safe recovery space for patients and caregivers, Armane and his sister found a second family. “No one stared. Everyone was accepted,” said Denise Gorissen, a Dutch volunteer leading the center. “That environment of love helps healing begin before the surgery even starts.”
Armane’s recovery was smooth. And when he returned to his village, the transformation left neighbors stunned.
“Many people came to see him,” said Roseline. “They couldn’t believe it. They had thought this couldn’t be fixed.” When Armane’s father first saw him, he held him in his arms and kissed him. “My worry is gone from now on,” he said with relief.
For Roseline and her husband, the surgery didn’t just restore their son’s face, it restored their hope. Once surrounded by shame and whispers, Armane is now surrounded by love, laughter, and a future full of promise.
“I’m so happy, so happy,” says Roseline, her eyes shining. “My son will no longer be mocked. He will always be loved.”
