Rolland and Adeline are proud parents of nine children. Their youngest two, daughter Lanto and son Rindra, were both born with cleft conditions (唇腭裂). In Madagascar, many families have never seen a cleft, so it’s a condition often greeted with fear in some rural communities
However, the fact of Lanto and Rindra’s cleft wasn’t much of a shock because Rolland’ s cousin had lived his entire life with an untreated cleft. Although seeing a relative with a cleft meant the family weren’t fearful of the condition, they knew the negative impact a cleft could have on a person’s health and their life. As any loving parents would, Rolland and Adeline wanted a better future for their children.
Rolland heard news on the radio about an Operation Smile surgical (外科手术的) programme in Antsirabe, Madagascar. Finding that the children could have the surgery for free was a dream coming true for the family. Unlike the situation in other countries, for example, UK, health services weren’t free in many places and the costs were out of reach for most families.
It was a four-hour walk for Rolland to reach the hospital. Rolland was put in touch with Mr. Dadafara, a Patient Advocate, to connect with families and ease any fears they might have. Mr. Dadafara also told Rolland where to catch the free bus to the surgical site.
When Rolland and his children arrived at the patient village, they were surprised to see so many other families in the same position. After a medical judgment, Lanto was found to be fit for surgery, and later got the new smile her parents had dreamed of. But for Rindra, the journey to a new smile would take longer.
Rindra was underweight due to feeding problems and suffered from a respiratory infection (呼吸道感染), both common problems for children with cleft conditions. Thankfully, Rindra was referred to Operation Smile’s nutrition programme until he is strong enough to get the surgery like his sister.
【小题1】How did the couple feel about their children’s cleft conditions?| A．They were worried. | B．They were disappointed. |
| C．They were hopeful. | D．They were frightened. |
| A．It’s a surgical programme in UK. | B．It offered cleft surgery for free. |
| C．It’s presented on the television. | D．It provided any help to those in need. |
| A．He was afraid of the operation. | B．He wasn’t on the waiting list. |
| C．He didn’t do medical check—up. | D．He was in poor health condition. |
| A．Waiting for New Smiles. | B．Wishing for the Best. |
| C．Thanking for Kindness. | D．Looking for New Chances. |
