Brooklyn’s Story
From diagnosis to surgery, Sara reflects on Brooklyn’s journey and the support she received along the way.
I remember going for my first scan; I was so excited to see my teeny little baby on the screen, but little did I know I would be told my baby would be born with a cleft lip and potentially a cleft palate too.
I struggled to take the information in and cried many tears over the next few days and weeks. I joined an online Facebook group, a cleft lip and palate support group, and this is where I came to terms with the diagnosis and started to realise it wasn’t all so bad.
I joined an online Facebook group, a cleft lip and palate support group, and this is where I came to terms with the diagnosis and started to realise it wasn’t all so bad.
We were offered a free 4d scan to see my baby (the best decision I ever made – it really helped me prepare). When my son was born, all my worries seemed to disappear instantly; suddenly, I realised I was blessed with the most beautiful little boy!
I spent many days after his arrival being upset, worrying about his lip repair as I didn’t want my boy to change. At four months, Brooklyn had his lip repair at St Thomas’s hospital – they were absolutely fantastic with my son’s care and supported us too.
Brooklyn went on to have his palate repaired here, too; both operations and recoveries went as well as they could have. At four years old, Brooklyn is your usual cheeky, boisterous and happy little boy. His journey is far from over, but we have dealt with the worst of it, and he has shown me how resilient and strong he is.
Thank you to Sara and Brooklyn for sharing your story!
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