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Maria, 8 months, Bulgaria
Bulgaria has undergone a decade of immense social changes, and the effect on healthcare has been catastrophic. When it came time for Maria to be born, her mother, father and 4-year old brother Nikolai had to travel 100 miles to the Rhodopes mountains for her birth. The shocked look of concern on the doctors’ and nurses’ faces said it all. Maria was born with a cleft lip and palate.
Determined to help their daughter, Maria’s parents and her brother made a long and dangerous journey to Plovdiv and begged for help for their daughter. Luckily, they found a program that provides free cleft surgery for indigent patients |
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through support from The Smile Train. Maria’s operation went perfectly and her family is extremely relieved and grateful.
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