Thuong's Journey with Cleft Lip

Thuong Bui, an 18 year old Vietnamese girl, was born with a cleft palate and lip. A cleft lip is a physical split or separation of the two sides of the upper lip, and it often extends beyond the base of the nose, the bones of the upper jaw, and the upper gum. With the help of a nonprofit organization, Thuong received her first surgery when she was 3 months old, second surgery at the age of 1, third surgery at 3, and she received her last surgery when she was eight.

However, the non-profit organization was not able to proceed with her surgery as she turned eight, and Thuong was left with a lot of scars. She could not communicate clearly or eat due to severe weakness in her upper lip muscle. Her scars and cleft palate have not only affected her daily life, but also caused her to be isolated from the society. It has been more than 10 years since she has been desperately longing to proceed with her surgery. Because of her age, many organizations now refuse to provide financial and medical support for her case. Recently, Thuong visited Ho Chi Minh city, which is one of the biggest cities in Vietnam, to reach out to dentists, doctors, and healthcare professionals who could help out with her case.
“I have been an introvert girl since I was little. Whenever I go out, people would laugh and make fun of me.. I couldn’t say anything back and I cried alone every night until I fell asleep. I always have to wear a face mask to cover my scars whenever I am outside. Otherwise, people would become scared and look at me as if I was a weird creature. Sometimes, I wonder why God didn’t give me the normal life like other people. However, at the same time, I feel fortunate to have people who genuinely care about me. Recently, I went to Da Nang to work and earn money because I wanted to be independent. I spent the whole day finding jobs, but no one wanted me because of my appearance. At the end of the day, I stopped by a small food place and desperately begged them to hire me. They said that they would hire me out of sympathy because they had a disabled nephew like me. Everytime I served food, the customers told me to cover my mouth with a mask or they wouldn’t dare to eat because the food seems dirty. Why wouldn’t they try to understand my situation? Disability doesn’t make you dirty or a bad person that they need to be scared of. My boss tells me that I will get used to it, but those comments still tear me apart… ”

My name is Sang Han, and I have decided to start this fundraiser because I was also born with cleft palate and lip. However, I was fortunate to receive all the necessary financial as well as medical support from many people and hospitals to complete my journey with the cleft palate and lip. This year, I came to know my friend Thuong Bui, and it was very saddening to see how she has been neglected, isolated, and discriminated from her community. Because of the negative reactions that people express against when they see her scars, Thuong cannot live her daily life without wearing a face mask to hide them. I would like to share the blessings that I have received in my life and accompany her on the journey to complete her surgeries, to take off her mask, and to have a normal life as any other 18 year old girl.
My co-fundraiser, Ngan Vu (CeCe), has inspired me to start this project to raise money for Thuong Bui. CeCe’s mother met Thuong during her dental charity trip and has been seeking out for help. CeCe, who has also went on various charity service trips, immediately brought Thuong’s case to me as I shared my interest in raising money for Smile Train (an organization and charity that provides corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates throughout the world).
CeCe reflects,“ I went on various charity services trips with my mother, and I have witnessed many unfortunate patients who are in need of serious financial and medical supports. My mother has always inspired me to share with others the privileges that I was born with, and I would like to use this opportunity to accompany Thuong on her journey.”

CeCe and I have been contacting several organizations, dentists, and campus associations to support Thuong. We still need help from your community, family, friends, and everyone. We would really appreciate any help you provide us to complete Thuong’s journey to normal life. The money raised in this fundraiser will be sent directly to Thuong’s family to support her surgeries. Please spread her story and pray with us for Thuong’s future surgeries. Thank you for your time and love.