When I previously shared my experience as a Chicago pediatrician providing cleft care in Bolivia, I focused on the profound impact of a child’s first cleft lip surgery, specifically the moment when a family witnesses a smile they had only imagined. Since then, I have come to understand something even deeper: the greatest joy in this work comes not from a single surgery, but from accompanying patients and families throughout their care journey.
Cleft care is not a one-time event. It is a continuum that unfolds over the years. Lip repair is only the beginning. Palate repair follows, allowing children to eat safely, develop speech, and grow with confidence. Later in childhood, bone grafting and orthodontic care become essential to support proper dental alignment, speech clarity, and long-term oral health. Each stage builds upon the last, and none can be separated if we are truly committed to the well-being of the whole child.
Over the past six years, through my work with Healing the Children Northeast, in collaboration with Rotary Clubs in Bolivia as part of the RotaFeliz campaign, I have had the privilege of seeing what comprehensive, sustained care can achieve. This partnership ensures that children are not treated once and forgotten, but instead followed, supported, and welcomed back as they grow.
As a pediatrician, I find something uniquely meaningful in continuity. I first met many patients as infants, small and fragile in their parents’ arms. I see them again as toddlers preparing for palate surgery, and later as school-aged children strong enough for bone grafting and orthodontic planning. With each return visit, they grow not only physically, but emotionally. They are more confident, more expressive, more themselves.
One mother shared with me, “Antes teníamos miedo de que nos olvidaran después de la primera cirugía. Ahora sabemos que ustedes caminan con nosotros.”
(“Before, we were afraid we would be forgotten after the first surgery. Now we know you walk with us.”)
That statement captures the heart of this work. Many families travel long distances, often at great personal sacrifice, to access specialized care. For them, continuity represents trust. It signals that their child’s life and future matter beyond a single intervention.
This year, I saw a young boy who first came to us as a baby return for evaluation ahead of his bone graft. He walked into the clinic smiling easily, speaking clearly, and standing tall. His mother’s expression reflected something different than those early visits — not fear or uncertainty, but pride. Moments like this remind me that comprehensive cleft care is about far more than surgery. It is about restoring function, fostering confidence, and opening doors to education, communication, and social inclusion.
For Latino families, especially, relationships and trust are foundational. Sustained care affirms dignity and partnership. Through Healing the Children Northeast and the RotaFeliz campaign, our shared mission is not only to provide surgical care but to build systems of follow-up, education, and long-term support that empower families and communities.
Giving a child a smile is powerful. But walking beside that child through every stage of their growth, from lip repair to palate surgery to bone grafts and orthodontic care, is where the deepest fulfillment lives. That is where healing truly happens.
Dr. Emma B. Olivera is a Chicago-area pediatrician and proud Latina physician committed to improving child health locally and globally. She earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Dr. Olivera is passionate about health equity and ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow, speak, and smile with confidence.