Patient Stories
Fiona (Cleft lip and palate)
Eileen and Tom had waited with great anticipation for this moment: the arrival of their first child, Fiona. But they were shocked when Fiona was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate—a severe facial deformity. Eileen was downcast. The normal stress of new parenthood was compounded by nagging thoughts that she had somehow caused the defect, and by anxiety over what the future might hold for her tiny child. Breastfeeding was impossible with the cleft deformity, and it soon became apparent that Eileen was having difficulty bonding normally to her disfigured child. Dr. Mitchell Stotland, pediatric plastic surgeon and Director of the CHaD Craniofacial Clinic, sat down with Eileen and Tom to help them put Fiona's situation into perspective, explaining what is known about its causes, the lack of responsibility parents bear for its unpredictable occurrence, the challenges Fiona and her parents could expect to face, and the well-established series of treatments that would be recommended over the course of her childhood years. In the two years since then, Dr. Stotland has performed three successful surgeries. With the help of counseling, and the broad support of the Face of a Child Program at CHaD, Eileen and Fiona have developed a deep and special loving mother-daughter bond.
April (Skull and scalp deformity)
Born with a severe skull and scalp deformity resulting in open exposure of a large part of her brain, April's indomitable spirit has helped her and her family overcome many challenges. Dr. Mitchell Stotland conducted April's first corrective surgery when she was just three days old. For 18 months thereafter, her parents painstakingly changed her dressings several times a day, not infrequently encountering episodes of spontaneous bleeding. Step by step in the years since then, Stotland has intervened through a series of delicate and creative procedures to repair the child's skull and scalp. Now a vibrant eight year old, April is about to begin the final phase of her treatment. For April and her family, there is light—and hope—at the end of a very long tunnel.
Shawn (Facial deformity)
Shawn was 14 years old when he first came to see Dr. Stotland for a rare congenital syndrome that had left one side of his face shrunken and twisted, and without an ear. An earlier series of reconstructive surgeries elsewhere had produced disappointing results, and Shawn and his parents had simply lost their motivation to continue. Shawn's parents had worked hard—but with limited success—to help the boy overcome his lack of self esteem and social isolation that resulted from his disfigurement. When the family moved to Vermont, they learned of the Face of a Child Program at CHaD, and came to see Dr. Stotland. Dr. Stotland has undertaken a series of facial sculpting procedures that have already dramatically transformed Shawn's looks, unveiling a new forthright, assertive, positive demeanor for all to see.
