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Our Kids - Meet Camryn

Results from a routine ultrasound both frightened and worried a young couple as they prepared for the birth of their first child. Twenty-week pregnant Nina and her husband Patrick discovered their daughter would be born with a cleft lip and palate.

Camryn, 8, Cleft Lip and Palate

They received the news late on a Friday and decided to walk to The Hospital for Sick Children to gain a further understanding as to what to expect when having a baby with this condition. Cindy Guernsey, Cleft Lip and Palate program coordinator, noticed the distressed couple in the hallway. She invited them inside her office where, for the next hour, she provided counselling, education and support. After this one-on-one session, the couple felt ready to deal with their daughter’s condition.

A cleft is a separation in the lip and palate (roof of mouth), which usually fuse together during the first three months of development. If these two parts refuse to fuse, a space is created, which is called a cleft. A cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital anomalies in children and occurs in approximately one in 700 births.

Baby Camryn arrived at SickKids at five days old to begin her treatment. Specialists took impressions of her mouth so molds could be created to produce a custom-made appliance that would make it easier to feed, a challenge many cleft lip and palate children face.

Camryn began to attend weekly appointments at four months old. She also had her first surgery to start the repair on her lip. At one year old, Camryn underwent a second surgery to repair her palate. She also endured several operations to insert tubes in her ears to avoid any fluid build up, another challenge associated with cleft lip and palate. In 2008, Camryn had a special palate and throat surgery to help her with her speech and in 2009 went through bone graft surgery.

Camryn keeps a scrapbook filled with memorabilia and photographs of significant events in her life, many of which occurred at SickKids. She has made many good friends at SickKids some of whom she has met through the Girls Stuff Program. Girls Stuff is a group at SickKids for girls ages 8-12 who have a facial difference. It provides them with an opportunity to meet other girls who also have a facial difference in a fun, non-threatening atmosphere.

Today, eight-year-old Camryn is active, well-adjusted, friendly and athletic. Her favourite sport is swimming but she enjoys skating, skiing and rock climbing too. She excels in French immersion and hopes to learn how to snowboard soon.

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