1997 PAGES Medical Mission - Family Waits

1997 PAGES Medical Mission - Family Waits, originally uploaded by john m flores.

So the families come, hoping to be admitted so that their child's cleft lip or cleft palate can be addressed. And they wait for their turn to speak with the nurses, to be seen by a doctor, for their chance.

Cleft lip and cleft palate, from what I understand, is more common on islands and developing nations like the Philippines. It does happen in the US, but much more rarely, and children are treated at a very young age.

In the Philippines, however, the poor do not have the finances to treat a newborn with a cleft lip or palate, so the kids grow until a mission group like PAGES comes around. And then they come.

For more information about the PAGES Mission, check out www.pageshope.org/