Sharing A Smile Or Two

Your Generosity Has Given Sisters A Chance To Spread A Little Joy

Baby Emmalee was born in September 2015. After being temporarily placed in the loving hands of her aunt Becky and uncle Rene, the family knew Emmalee would be a beloved new addition to their family of five. At six weeks old, she was referred to Dr. Lisa Buckmiller, chief of pediatric otolaryngology at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, specializing in cleft/craniofacial reconstruction and vascular anomalies.

Emmalee was born with a cleft lip, nasal deformity, a partial left palate, and a hemangioma on her right eyelid. Her cleft lip was causing Emmalee to have difficulty bottle feeding and she was struggling to gain healthy and necessary weight. If left untreated, the hemangioma, a noncancerous dense group of blood vessels, above Emmalee’s right eye could potentially damage her eyeball or even cause blindness. Dr. Buckmiller explained that corrective surgery was her best option for a healthy, normal life.

“I left The Children’s Hospital that day feeling so blessed. My baby was in the best hands and we were on the right path to having a happy, healthy baby,” said Becky. “We knew this was not going to be a quick, nor an easy, journey while Emmalee’s adoption was being finalized, but we had more than enough faith to pull us through.”

From November 2015 to 2018, Dr. Buckmiller performed corrective surgery on Emmalee’s lip, nose, palate, and eyelid. Month by month, Emmalee’s doctors noticed a drastic change in her appearance and health. The surgeries were all a complete success. Once Emmalee’s lip healed, she was able to bottle-feed properly and slowly began to gain weight. The hemangioma that was once present on her tiny face had disappeared.

Almost one year after Emmalee’s first surgery, baby Maritza, her biological little sister, was born. Upon her birth, doctors noticed Maritza was also born with a cleft lip, nasal deformity, and a partial right palate that would all require corrective surgery. Dr. Buckmiller performed a cleft lip and nose reconstruction surgery when Maritza was just nine weeks old. The family was overjoyed with another successful surgery.

Thank you for continuing to give! You gave these sisters so much more than a chance to smile.

“I am so thankful for The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. From the moment we walked through the front door, we were greeted with kindness and compassion,” said Becky. “Having not one, but two children with what some would consider a facial flaw, was never daunting to me. My girls are beautiful, well taken care of, and they are extremely loved by our family, as well as their physicians.”

You can contribute to helping our kids grow up with strong, healthy smiles! February is National Dental Health Month, and you can bring a smile to a child’s face with Kohl’s Cares plush animals and books. When you buy any of these items, 100% of proceeds will benefit children’s programs, including the  The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio‘s Dental Center. Shop in stores or online today!

Our wonderful friends at Kohl’s have supported  The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Foundation for many years through sales of its Kohls Cares merchandise.  Funds provided by Kohl’s will allow our Pediatric Dental Center to increase the number of children served every year, provide dental exams for medically fragile children who are unable to receive dental care through other sources, and create community awareness of the importance of children’s dental health, while stopping tooth decay, removing pain, and preventing infections. Consider making a gift today and help our kids grow up with strong, healthy smiles!

To learn more about how you can support The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Foundation, please visit ChildrensHospitalSAFoundation.org.