Baby Everett has been cared for by the Alberta Children’s Hospital since before he was even born. At the 20-week ultrasound, his parents, Lindsay and Chris, learned he would be born with a cleft lip and palate. The rest of the pregnancy was very emotional, as they grappled with what this meant for their little one and his future. They were referred to the cleft clinic at the Alberta Children’s Hospital right away and had a virtual introduction to nurse Debbie as well as a social worker, Ruanna, who walked them through everything to expect.
When Everett was born, his family came to know the cleft clinic well, with 15 appointments in the first two months. They were supported by a comprehensive team of specialists – including a nurse, social worker, dietician, speech language pathologist, pediatrician, plastic surgeon, audiologist, ENT and dentist, all working together to ensure the best outcomes for Everett. “This team is phenomenal and so, so supportive,” says Lindsay. “They have been with us since Day one and have always made time to answer all our questions and reassure us.”
During those first few months, the team helped Lindsay and Chris teach Everett modified feeding. Babies born with a cleft lip and palate are unable to suck and therefore cannot breastfeed and need to use a specialized bottle to drink milk. The team closely monitored his weight gain and growth because if he was unable to feed adequately, he would have needed to get a feeding tube.
In preparation for Everett’s first surgery to repair the cleft lip, he had to wear facial tapes that pulled his cleft lip together, and a nose hook to help form and stabilize the nostril to prevent it from falling flat. At four months old, Everett had his lip repair surgery by plastic surgeon Dr. Kimberly Sass, which went very well. This was followed by a period of Everett having to wear arm restraints so he wouldn’t touch his face as it healed and as re-teaching him to feed with a new method, now that he had a full upper lip. At 15 months old, Everett had his second surgery – to repair his palate. The surgery went well, though recovery was tough as Everett experienced pain and had to learn how to feed again. Everything he knew about his mouth, the way he swallowed and moved food around, was entirely different. And he certainly wasn’t a fan of going back to only eating baby purée for a month!
Everett’s surgeries have been “life-changing”, says Lindsay. Not only does Everett LOOK different, but his reconstructed lip and palate make him SOUND different, too. As Lindsay is a nurse herself, she has had more than the average person’s exposure to healthcare staff and is convinced that Everett’s team is among the best there is. “They are seriously so special,” she says. “We are so grateful for them.”
