Chrispine and Mwate: Crossing the Border for Hope

Determined to do the best they could for their babies, mothers Bella and Mwanga banded together for a life-changing journey. Their daughters, 6-month-old Chrispine (pictured at left) and 3-month-old Mwate (on right after surgery), were both born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last year with clefts. Chrispine had a cleft lip and palate, while Mwate had a cleft lip.

The mothers heard about ReSurge’s services in neighboring Zambia from a local physician and decided the futures of their babies depended on getting them surgery. Their travels began in the DRC, 12 hours from the Zambian-Congo border, where they traveled by bus to get to Mission Hospital in the northwestern tip of Zambia.

ReSurge Surgical Outreach Director Dr. Goran Jovic is the only reconstructive plastic surgeon in Zambia and helps hundreds of children like Chrispine and Mwate every year.

He was able to complete both girls’ surgeries, enabling these young babies to lead healthier and more normal lives as they grow up.

ReSurge’s work with cleft patients in Zambia is bringing hope to families like these throughout the region.