Stacey-Lee and her mother Eloise.
Eighteen children have been getting facial reconstructive surgery at Tygerberg Hospital during Smile Week, from Monday November 9 to Friday 13 November.
The non-profit Smile Foundation and Germany-based BigShoe, an organisation helped by international footballers, have funded the operations to fix facial deformities, such as cleft palates.
The national lockdown has created a backlog of children waiting for the surgeries.
Dr Alexander Zühlke, a plastic surgeon at Tygerberg, said: “We are extremely excited for this opportunity by the Smile Foundation, in partnership with BigShoe, which will greatly help to decrease our backlog of children requiring facial reconstructive procedures.”
Nine-year-old Stacey-Lee was born with microtia, a birth deformity which results in an underdeveloped ear that leads to difficulty in hearing.
Stacey-Lee’s mother, Eloise, said she was grateful her daughter would get help after a long wait and many struggles.
“Hearing is difficult for Stacey-Lee, which is why her teachers have to repeat a lot in order for her to understand. She is very shy, only playing for short periods or not wanting to play at all as her peers often tease her about her condition.”
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said the procedures postponed by Covid-19 could no longer be delayed.
“It is quite critical that we resume with non-Covid health services,” she said.
“I'm excited to be part of this initiative that brings smiles to babies born with facial anomalies such as cleft lip, cleft palate, nose and ear conditions, burns and craniofacial abnormalities.”
Hedley Lewis, chief executive of the Smile Foundation, thanked Tygerberg Hospital staff for their help with the campaign.
Arsenal and 2014-World Cup champion German midfielder Mesut Ozil, who is one of the footballers who make donations to BigShoe, said: “Our goal is to help children! I'm really happy that the medical team can finally continue with the project. So let's all hope that we are getting back into normality very soon that more of these life-changing surgeries can take place. I'm very proud to be part of this and to work together with the Smile Foundation to help these children in need."