STORY FEATURE: BULGARIA

Transforming Faces' Partner, ALA, based in Bulgaria, has been a part of Zdravko's life since birth. Zdravko was born in 2011 in Sofia – the capital of Bulgaria.

Through a routine pre-natal check-up, Zdravko’s cleft lip was diagnosed and his parents were shocked. . But, their doctor quickly reassured them that everything would be fine and their son, once born, could live a normal life with some extra steps along the way. Their doctor provided a referral to visit ALA in a nearby city, where they would receive support even before the arrival of Zdravko.

Professor Anastassov of ALA and the whole team had a long informational meeting with the soon-to-be parents which left them well informed and better prepared for their child’s birth. Though medical professionals confirmed Zdravko's cleft lip prior to delivery, it was not discovered until after delivery that he also had a cleft palate. As a result, the new parents would require more knowledge, but they were in good hands.

Since birth, Zdravko and his parents have received support starting with proper feeding techniques in preparation for his surgery. Now 10 years old and he has successfully finished his speech and language treatments where he has seen significant improvements. In the future, he will continue to work with ALA to receive orthodontics and, if necessary, a final Fistula repair surgery.

In school, Zdravko's teachers were positive and supportive during his Speech Therapy treatments. They are pleased with his ability to speak clearly in class and participate. He is a happy, smiling child who has an interest in computers and technology. His future is bright and he dreams of becoming a painter when he grows up. The family is very thankful to all ALA’s specialists and to TF for the support, care and attention.