A FATHER & DAUGHTER’S NEW SMILE

NAYPYIDAW, MYANMAR | DECEMBER 2019

When little Aye Tawtar was just two months old, her parents brought her to a Smile Asia medical mission screening day in Yangon. In her father, Aye Chan’s arms, she carried more than her own hopes – her father, too, had been born with a cleft lip. As a child, Chan had undergone surgery, but the result was unsatisfactory, leaving his cleft looking almost untreated. For years, he lived with the hardships and stigma of his condition, and his greatest wish was that his daughter would receive surgery early in life and grow up free from the struggles he endured.

At that first mission, the medical team explained that Tawtar was still too young for surgery, as she had not yet met the minimum age requirement. The family left feeling sad and disappointed, yet they held on to hope – reassured that they could return later, when Tawtar was older and eligible for treatment at the next mission.

A few months later, when Tawtar turned eight months old, the family travelled to the Smile Asia medical mission in Naypyidaw, where she was finally scheduled for her cleft surgery. During the same mission, the team also noticed Chan’s condition and offered him a chance for treatment too.

Aye Tawtar before and after surgery

Her mother, Daw Zin Mar Tun, recalled the moment with joy:

“While we were celebrating the successful surgery of our daughter, the doctors from Smile Asia saw my husband’s lip and offered him the surgery. I cannot express how happy I am now, because both my daughter and my husband can have a healthy smile.”

For this family, the mission brought more than healing. It gave them the gift of confidence, dignity, and renewed hope. Today, father and daughter share not only the same smile but also a brighter future ahead.

The happy family after the father-daughter duo received surgery