August 2011

On June 11^th one of the boys in Stairway Foundation’s residential program was admitted into the operating room at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Manila.  After 10 years of living with a locked jaw that prevented him from speaking clearly or chewing his food, JM (not his real name) underwent a life transforming operation. World-renowned cranio-maxillofacial surgeon Professor Lim Kwong Cheung, BDS, PhD, from Hong Kong, performed the 3-hour operation with the help of a qualified team of Filipino surgeons from various hospitals across Manila.

Dr. Cheung took cartilage from JM’s ribcage to create a graft in order to rebuild his left-side mandible joint. JM stayed in the Intensive Care Unit for two days and was then transferred with another jaw surgery patient to a private room. Doctors and nurses from the Cranio-Facial Foundation of the Philippines, which had invited Dr. Cheung to come perform the surgeries, checked in on JM everyday and carefully monitored his recovery. In the hospital he was on a diet of soft foods in order to help him build muscle in his chin and around his jaw, thus ensuring that his reconstructed mandible remained securely held in place and supported.

With an insatiable appetite from 10 years of being unable to properly chew and taste foods, JM was eager to try new foods and eat anything within reach. His favorite meal has always been spaghetti from Jollibee, and he was finally able to eat the noodles with a spoon and chew lightly before swallowing. Four days after surgery, JM was able to open his mouth two centimeters. The doctors gave him physical therapy exercises to do everyday to encourage his jaw to continue to release.

During his hospital stay, JM received many visitors who had met him at Stairway and wanted to show their support for this extraordinary little boy. For his 13^th birthday, fourteen students from the Deaf Camp surprised JM with a cake. During camp, JM was eager to learn sign language because he understood the communication barrier and exclusion based on physical impairment that the deaf students experience. For almost two hours, JM used the sign language that he had learned to communicate with his friends.

After two weeks in the hospital, JM returned to Stairway Foundation to show off his new smile. He is still required to go to Manila for weekly checkups for the next few months and his physical therapy will be ongoing for at least 6 months. After this, the doctors will be able to determine if any additional surgeries, dental or orthodontic work will be necessary.

Despite being anxious about the operation, JM was very steadfast and dealt with the post-operative pain bravely. He maintained a positive attitude, which helped to expedite his recovery. JM is still discovering the new possibilities that this life changing surgery has afforded him; it will be exciting to see his progress as the physical therapy allows him to open his mouth more and speak even more clearly. By the time he left the hospital, he had all the nurses laughing because his singing could be heard down the length of the ward. This outstanding little boy has “definitely found his new voice,” one of the nurses joked while Beatles lyrics echoed through the hall.

Article contributed by Annie Alcid, Stairway volunteer