(WXYZ) - Nearly one in 700 children is born with a cleft lip, cleft palate or some other head or facial disorder. Now there’s a local clinic, dedicated to helping these youngsters put their best face forward.
WATCH CAROLYN CLIFFORD'S REPORT IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ON THE RIGHTConnor Donahue is a talkative, active 17-month old. But he was born with a cleft palate that made it difficult for him to take in food. He even had to be fed with a special type of bottle
His mom, Andrea told us she had to pay attention every second she was feeding him that bottle because if he got too much, it came out of his nose,
But within hours of his birth, Connor’s parents met with Dr. Kenneth Shaheen, director of the cranial facial clinic at Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Shaheen told them things were much better for children like Connor than they were years ago.
Dr. Shaheen: Kids would have funny speech, they looked different and it would affect them throughout their life. Nowadays, kids with cleft lip and palate go on and grow with their peers as if nothing had happened.
Little Connor had palate repair surgery when he was six months old.
And within two days, he went from being a little boy who couldn’t properly take in food, to a typical, messy eater.
Andrea Donahue: it changed his whole eating it changed his whole life, it changed our lives.
The same kind of team-approach that helped change Connor's life is now available to others.
Beaumont and Dr. Shaheen run a once monthly clinic that brings together experts from a wide range of medical specialties to meet with parents all in one place.
Dr. Shaheen: And we provide a care plan for their children and we can provide the services directly or we can provide direction for their physician so they can maintain their normal physician team they have now.
Andrea only has good things to say about the program…
Andrea Donahue: He’s doing wonderful; there isn’t a food or vegetable that he doesn’t eat so far.
For more information call Dr. Shaheen's office at 248-283-1110.
or click on
https://beaunet.beaumont.edu/portal/pls/portal/pris.web_pkg.find_doctor_bio?xdoctorid=3317https://www.beaumonthospitals.com/children-services-craniofacial-clinichttps://www.beaumonthospitals.com/children-services-craniofacial-clinic-teamhttps://www.beaumonthospitals.com/children-services-craniofacial-clinic-patient-testimonials
https://www.beaumonthospitals.com/children-services-craniofacial-clinic-frequently-asked-questions
