Torrence Chrisman, Lee, MA – graduated from Lee High School, where he played trumpet in the band and jazz band, worked on the technical crew of every major school drama production, and helped produce the student-based television show “Lee Live.”
Rachel Bergan, Andover, MA – graduated from Andover High School, where she participated in both ice hockey and field hockey teams and received the “High-Five Award” for demonstration of leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, and commitment in physical education.
While in some ways it is difficult to quantify the effect that this has had on my life, upon reflection, it has shaped me in subtle but important ways. The most profound impact has probably been in developing empathy for others. Often times I would sit in a waiting room at Boston Children’s Hospital and look around to see other children with conditions far more severe than mine. After my own experience, it is difficult not to have a deep appreciation for the hardships they have had to endure.As a result, I have tried to be more compassionate of those around me and to understand the path that they have traveled.
All sibling relationships have their ups and downs and tend to be a blend of loyalty and rivalry. “Families in which a child has a craniofacial difference are more alike than different from other families,” says Elisa Bronfman, PhD, a staff psychologist in the Medical Coping Clinic at Children’s Hospital Boston.
As a medical social worker, Cassandra L. Aspinall, MSW, discusses face-altering procedures with children and their parents to make sure their expectations are realistic.“It’s fine if someone thinks,‘I will be more positive about myself if my nose looks better,’” says Aspinall.“But there’s nothing worse than a child thinking an operation is all that’s needed to improve the chances of having a boyfriend or girlfriend or to be accepted by the popular kids for the first time.”
New research suggests that taking a “wait-and-see” approach to the treatment of ear infections may be best. A recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that 62%, or nearly two-thirds, of children diagnosed with a middle ear infection got better on their own—without antibiotics—within 48 hours.
Jared Popkin was only three months old when his cleft lip was repaired, so he has no memory of the procedure. But he’s seen before and after photos, and he visits Dr. Mulliken at Children’s Hospital regularly for check-ups. So last year when his third-grade teacher asked him to write an essay on what makes him special, he wrote about his cleft lip. “He’s proud of it,” says his mother, Bari,“because that’s who he is.” In Fall2006, when Jared was 9, he was eager to take part in the FFC Walkathon. He sent e-mails to friends, neighbors, and relatives asking them to sponsor him. “This organization is important to me,” he wrote, “because the Foundation for Faces helped me when I was a baby and was born with a cleft lip.” The response was tremendous—he collected $757. “He really took this walk to heart,” says his mother. “Every time a letter would come in the mail, he’d get so excited.You would have thought people were sending the money to him for his own use! And at the walk, he enjoyed seeing Dr. Mulliken and Dotty (nurse Dorothy MacDonald), and he felt like a celebrity.” A resident of Needham, Jared attends the Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton, which stresses performing mitzvahs or charitable acts. The walk was something he wanted to do, his mother says, and FFC is grateful for his efforts. Thanks, Jared!
My daughter, Ella, is almost six months old. She was born with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, undetected in two ultrasounds. Before she was delivered, my doctor said, “She will look a little different. She has a cleft lip and palate.” I cried and apologized to my husband. I wanted to know what I did wrong.
At birth, Rebecca Carley’s first-born son, James (pictured below at nine months), was a healthy baby with a round head covered with light brown hair.As time went by, she noticed that he always slept with his head to the left side and when awake, often tracked objects with his eyes rather than turning to look at them.After a couple of months, she was startled to see that he had developed a flat spot on his head.Although James’s pediatrician recommended physical therapy for his neck muscles, she expressed little concern about the flattening of his head. But she suggested a possible evaluation at Children’s Hospital Boston.
She does not cry to get attention, complain when in pain, or show any signs of discomfort until it is unbearable. I have seen her remain calm in a situation where I would have been unsettled and tough it out when I would have fled. I am fortunate enough to live with the person who has inspired me the most and who has had the most influence on my life.This strong, yet shy and funny person is my 22-year-old sister, Kara.
