Hi, new here.

[kelly yendle]

Hi to all,

My name is Kelly and Iam 25yrs old. I was born with a bialateral cleft lip and palate in Queensland Australia. I have had 39 surgurys, on my lip, plate and ears. 2 of those were bone grafts from my hip to top jaw and ribs to check bones. I now have a 2 children (Joshua 3yrs and Amber 1)
Amber was born with a unilateral cleft lip on her right side, but insted of a hole she had a scar, it had tryed to heal itself. She has had one surgery at six months and now we wait. I would like to let you know iam avaliable any time for question and support.

[Hilla]

Hello

Support in needed! I can not believe 39 surgeries... that is a lot.

Welcome to the group. My daughter (8 months old) has UCLP and I am nervous what the future holds.

-Laura and Hilla

[kelly yendle]

Hi,
One thing i have learnt is that the future will throw alot at you, this is to help make you a stronger mother, you are in a special elite club now. I was known as the guinne pig through out Australia, as when some new surgery came up i was first on the list to see if it would work. Every day a new procedure will come into your grasp, don't be afraid to try it because if my mother never tried i would not be the person i am today. You are going to have some hard days but remember when your child smiles at you it is worth it. I can not tell you if she will have 1 surgery or 100 but I can be here to listen and what to expect after each surgery. How bad is the lip, What is her next surgery?

[Mum from down under]

Hi Kelly & welcome to the group Wow 39 ops that's a lot. Its nice to see another Aussie mum here. I wish you & your daughter the best of luck. Hope you don't mind if I contact you though hotmail. We are @ Yulara (Ayers Rock) & at time I feel like I am doing this all on my own. Unlike everyone else our cleft clinic is not just a short drive so it would be nice to have some one to talk to from time to time. Please let me know if that is ok

[Hilla]

Hello Kelly,

My daughter has a very wide cleft lip and very wide cleft palate. Last week I went to the (ear/nose/throat) Doctor and he said "Oh no her palate is very wide". It got me a little distressed. Though I know it is wide. So she still has her palate open, it will be closed next summer. Her lip is corrected already. I am sure that people who go through rough times are much stronger. Difficult situations brings out personal growth. Bad things happens, but how are we going to take them?

Here are pics of Hilla (click on the side marks, so you will see how Hilla was before her lip operations, those months are in Finnish, the text is in English). http//halkiovave.vuodatus.net

Give my love to your family, Laura and Hilla