Jun, 3, was born with a cleft lip. He belongs to the Matigsalug Tribe, which lives in a mountainous community in Davao City.
His parents were told that Jun needed surgery immediately to prevent infections in the future. However, they cannot afford the surgery to correct Jun’s cleft lip.
Jun’s family has no stable source of income. They are only relying on their two hectares of root crops, which they can only harvest every four months. They are having a hard time providing for their basic needs.
But Jun’s father, Joel, sought help from different government agencies and private institutions for his son to get the surgery he needed. More than the possible infection, Joel was worried that Jun might harm other children in their community.
“When the children bully him, Jun gets a knife from our house and chases them. I am worried that one day he will hurt others. I tell the children to stop bullying Jun. I took care of him and tried to look for ways he could get the surgery he needed,” shares Joel, Jun’s father.
OB’s partner, Kalayag Childcare and Youth Community Center, endorsed Jun to OB’s Life-Changing Surgery project, and on June 29, his lip was finally repaired.
After the surgery, Jun gained the confidence to finally mingle with other children in the community.
“I am grateful that Jun is now okay. He is now playing with new friends, and he started smiling, too. The children stopped calling him “bungi/bingot” (cleft lip); they call him “pogi” (handsome) now.”
After his lips healed, Jun gained the courage to go to school. He is not afraid to go out of their house anymore. He is now in kindergarten.
Your generosity has given Jun a brand-new smile and the confidence to dream and pursue his dreams without any fear of others.
Jun also became a living testimony to their tribe that cleft lips and cleft palates can be corrected. And because of Jun, hope sparked for other children in their community with the same condition as he had. Six new patients sought help from the OB’s Life-Changing Surgery, too. Joel encourages and guides other parents on how to prepare their children for the surgery.