SIERRA LEONE-ISATU KONTEH-Cleft Lip

Isatu Konteh-Cleft lip – SIERRA LEONE 2011

For the better part of a day, Isatu sat on her hospital bed staring at the reflection of her face in the small mirror in her hand.  Despite the three thin strips of translucent bandage, she could see that the volunteer doctors on the Africa Mercy had corrected the cleft lip that had kept her isolated from people her whole life. She was amazed! She could hardly grasp the fact that she would now smile like everyone else.

Isatu was born with a cleft lip that created an unpleasant, even angry, expression on her face. It disrupted her upper lip and front teeth . . . and her entire life.  Isatu had spent her thirteen years at home, helping her mother keep house for the family, which included a sister and two brothers. Since West African culture views deformities as a sign of a curse, the cleft lip prevented Isatu from making friends and going to school. Would she ever be able to have a real life? 

Then hope appeared in the form of a radio advertisement. A Mercy Ship was coming to Sierra Leone, bringing surgeons who could fix cleft lips.  Isatu was delighted.

At the Mercy Ships medical screening, Isatu’s father described her as a very friendly girl who is a big help at home.  But she sat expressionless as he spoke.  Her father answered all questions for her. Quiet and withdrawn, she did not speak to anyone – a defense mechanism learned from years of being shunned.

Isatu was the first patient to receive the priceless appointment card for cleft lip surgery in the Sierra Leone Field Service. And what a difference the surgery made in her life!  Almost overnight, she was transformed from a very somber young lady to one who giggled about everything. She bloomed like a lovely flower, making friends among the patients recuperating in the ward. The successful cleft lip surgery gave her a whole new perspective on herself and on her life . . . evident in the beautiful new smile she generously bestowed on everyone.

When Isatu’s brother arrived to take her home, his delight with her successful surgery was obvious. He hugged her, and she reveled in his attention. He even revealed that because of the difference the surgery made, Isatu’s father, plans to enroll her in adult education classes, followed by training to become a seamstress. Isatu beamed as she realized she would soon be preparing for a productive life.

With pride and affection, her brother said, “Now she can get married and have a family.” Getting married and having children is of prime importance to young women in Sierra Leone – a goal previously prohibited by Isatu’s cleft lip.

It is no wonder Isatu’s first words after surgery were, “I’m happy now.”
                   Photos by Debra Bell / Story by Elaine B. Winn