In September of 2018 my twin cousins, Tommy & Teddy, came into the world. They were born in Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, both slightly premature & very small. Tommy was the first born by six minutes and it is Tommy’s story that I would like to share with you. Soon after he was born the delivery room staff discovered that he had a cleft
palate. That means that, although his face was normal, the roof of his mouth had not closed and was instead open into his nasal cavity. This condition can lead to problems with feeding, ear infections, and eventually trouble speaking clearly.
The following day he was examined by Dr John Mulliken and his team of experts at Boston Children’s Hospital. At that time it was determined that Tommy would need surgery to correct the cleft palate, but that it could not occur until he was about 9 months old. Incidentally, our great aunt, Dotty MacDonald, also has expertise in this area as she had been a career nurse at Children’s Hospital’s craniofacial department and so she was a great resource. When Tommy & Teddy were brought home from the hospital Tommy needed lots of extra care with special feeding and always had to be watched for choking. A special syringe for that was always kept nearby.
Meanwhile, there was twin brother Teddy who needed and got lots of love and attention too. At 9 months Tommy’s cleft palate was repaired at Children’s Hospital. The surgery took over 3 hours and was followed by tubes inserted once his congested ears were cleared. It was a successful surgery but was a worrisome day for all the family! Everyone was extremely grateful for the work of Dr. Mulliken and all the staff who took care of him that day. Tommy recently had to have the tubes in his ears replaced. Now his hearing will be monitored for several years & he will receive continued speech therapy. The good news is that he and his brother are happy, healthy, full of energy, two-year old twins as of Sept 9!
There is a wonderful organization called Foundation For Faces of Children. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children with craniofacial differences including cleft lip, cleft palate, and other head and facial conditions. It has been a great support to so many families. You can check out their website here: www.facesofchildren.org. Each year they have a Paces for Faces Walk and picnic as one of their fundraisers. This year, due to Covid-19, participants will fundraise and commit to a virtual walk during the weekend of September 26-27.
I am joining this effort along with some of my family members in honor of my little cousin Tommy. If you would like to help by sponsoring me click on the link below to donate under my name.
Owen Gingrow
My family & I thank you so much for any support you can give for this worthy cause!!
