Approximately one in every 600 newborn babies on the mainland suffer from cleft lip, palate or cleft lip and palate. Poor families are unable to afford medical treatment, and cleft may cause problems with eating, ear disease, speech and socialisation. Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation (“CTFCF”) has been funding the Medical Missions for Children “(MMFC”) team since 2015 to provide free cleft surgery and postoperative care for disadvantaged children in Huizhou, China, the Philippines and Cambodia.

Most recently, CTFCF sponsored 23 children to undergo surgery at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (“HKU-SZH”) from 17 to 20 July 2018. Volunteers from the Hong Kong Association for Cleft Lip and Palate shared their experience of postoperative care with the mainland parents.

The opening ceremony was held on 16 July 2018. As part of an enrichment programme on the day, nine high school students from Harrow International School Hong Kong and St. Paul’s Convent School had the opportunity to observe the screening and consultation conducted by Dr. Joe Fan, Assistant Hospital Chief Executive, Consultant of Surgery, HKU-SZH, Dr. SK Chow, Medical Coordinator of the event, and Dr. Daniel Alam of MMFC. The students also spoke to the families to understand their condition and took part in a group discussion. Following the enrichment programme, the students reflected on what they have learned:

“My classmates and I were honoured to participate in the Medical Missions for Children event in the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, tackling problems for cleft lip and palate. 30 families were consulted by Dr. SK Chow and Dr. Daniel Alam, two doctors that we highly respect. We sat in and listened in to these consultations and asked medical related questions of the condition, the surgery procedure and ethical issues to allow us to broaden our vision. Not only did we see it for ourselves patients of cleft lip and palate, but also realise thou it may be a surgery to be done in an hour, it could change the destinies of these children, and their families to not be looked down on by these external social pressure. We have learnt so much of what it is and what it takes to be the healing hands of this world. We would like to thank Dr. SK Chow and Dr. Daniel Alam, as well as Dr. Abbie Li, Dr. Candy Chan and Dr. Joe Fan for guiding us throughout the expedition. We Harrovians hope that these children recover successfully and carry on a cheerful smile.”

Easter Chan, Harrow International School Hong Kong

“This was an eye-opening experience for me and I am tremendously grateful for this opportunity. I was fortunate enough to be able to interact with patients and their families who have cleft lips. This allowed me to put myself in their shoes to understand the difficulty and hardship they were going through. One particular patient of Dr. Daniel Alam’s who had scoliosis, allowed me to further appreciate the role of doctors and to understand the magnitude of a doctor’s actions in changing the lives of one’s family. Understanding the immense amount of reliance and trust these families had for the doctors further strengthened my interest in working in the medical field, hoping that one day I will be the one changing the lives of families. This experience was very inspirational and I hope one day I will be able to give back to society to influence and help improve the lives of people for the better.”

Annie Cheung, Harrow International School Hong Kong

“Throughout this short but rich trip, I have had a deeper understanding of how cleft lip and palate have affected not only the children but also their family’s life as well as technical skills on how the surgery will be carried out. We were very lucky to have Dr. Daniel Alam and Dr. SK Chow to teach us and sharing their life experiences which truly touched my heart. Apart from learning about clefts, we had the opportunity to visit the modern hospital and how the technology had contributed to improve efficiency of the hospital. I would like to thank Dr. Abbie Li, Dr. Joe Fan and Dr. Candy Chan for making this mission possible and successful.”

Ng Tung Yat, Harrow International School Hong Kong

“As a high school student who is currently studying in Year 12, I haven’t had too much contact with the medical field as a whole, but thanks to the arrangement of the programme by Dr. SK Chow, we have gained an eye opening opportunity to not only witness the job of a doctor first hand, but also to step in the shoes of the patient and their parents during the interview with them. From this experience, I have learnt many things. Firstly, I’ve realised how privileged we are compared to those who are diagnosed with disability, and the importance of not taking it for granted. Also, I’ve learnt to appreciate the hard work of doctors, sponsors and charities who have put together such a generous programme. Lastly, special thanks to Dr. Daniel Alam for coming all the way from America, I have understood the duties and the motives of a doctor, and the countless sacrifices they have to make in order to help others.”

Edward Tsui, Harrow International School Hong Kong

“The cleft lip trip to Shenzhen has indeed left a huge impact on me. Thank you for offering me this chance. Although I have come across someone with cleft lip before, it never occurred to me that there are so much more health issues related, such as speech difficulties, other than the different looks that a cleft lip patient has. Observing the screening of patients was also a memorable experience for me because I have gained deeper insight into the details that we have to pay attention to when observing the patient. Thank you for the detailed explanation after observing each case, it gave me a more comprehensive understanding on the symptoms and difficulties of a cleft lip patient. Thanks to the inspirational group discussion session, I have become more dedicated in becoming a doctor as I have understood that a doctor undeniably has the power to change someone’s life and I find that really meaningful.”

Alice Chang, St. Paul’s Convent School

“This trip definitely enhanced my knowledge on cleft. Being able to meet people, especially children suffering from the condition was overwhelming, but also rewarding. I understood the importance of surgeries to these children, not only because they want to look pretty, but there are daily life problems associated with this condition, such as difficulty in speaking and hearing. I was pleased to see that some of the children were able to undergo surgery so that their condition can be improved. Once again, thank you for offering me the chance to get to know more about this condition.”

Sophia Chang, St. Paul’s Convent School

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Cheng and all the doctors. We are very grateful that we had a chance to join this trip and learn more about cleft lip and palate. Thank you for your support to the event so that we could have such platform to interact with doctors and patients as well as to observe the screening session. We really appreciate the support given.”

Natalie Chow, St. Paul’s Convent School

“It was a very rewarding and unforgettable trip as I gained an insight into the medical field. Furthermore, I acknowledged that to be a good doctor, having a compassionate and empathetic heart is crucial. I am really thankful for being given the opportunity to join this trip as it helped me realise what I am interested in. After this trip, I am more determined to work in the medical field and I am encouraged to work hard towards my goal. At the same time, I am inspired to try my best to help those in need in the future.”
Doris Fu, St. Paul’s Convent School

“I would like to thank the doctors and the organisers for such a rare and precious opportunity to visit the hospital for a day. During the visit, we were allowed to observe the doctors while they were consulting patients. The doctors explained what they were doing every step along the way thoroughly and answered all the questions we have raised. The talk about why we should be a doctor was very inspiring and this have motivated me to pursue a future career in medicine. I am very grateful for the guidance and such a wonderful experience.”

Charlotte So, St. Paul’s Convent School