sponsored

I'd heard rumor that there was a baby with a cleft lip at the Baby Orphanage, but hadn't seen him in the baby room, but on Friday I remembered about the 'secret' baby room that is behind the kids' bedroom building and down a hall. I went back there and sure enough, there he was, laying on the wooden slat bed. I talked with him a bit (as much as you can with a 4-month-old) then asked the "mother" to hold him. What a cutie! His cleft is pretty dramatic, going from his right nostril down with a very short septum and no palate on that side, either. I can't seem to get a straight answer about surgery for him, but was told the deformation was his reason for being at the orphanage. He's "sponsored"--whatever that means exactly. So, hopefully the sponsorship includes covering the cost of surgery. He's adorable, but in all honesty, he needs to get his palate and lip fixed. I wish it were easier to find information about these kids and what's happening, but not much is shared. I'm still gonna ask a bit more; this kid deserves the help.
(photo by Tranh, 5-year-old orphan girl)