The Best Care for Trinoy

Trinoy is the youngest of six siblings. None of his brothers and sisters were born with a cleft. So, when his mother, Shilpi, first laid eyes on her new baby boy, she was at a loss to explain why his lip and palate were different from the rest.

“My mother-in-law was the first person who saw,” Shilpi explains, “and she actually told me about Trinoy.

Everything about Trinoy’s cleft was new to Shilpi. “I had never heard about this kind of thing before,” she says, “and I did not know about any solution.”

When Trinoy was three months old, Shilpi began exploring cleft treatment for him. However, the only options she found left her “petrified.”

“So, I stopped there and didn’t see any doctor after that.”

As Trinoy grew, his personality began to shine. He was naturally calm and a good listener. At home, Shilpi had to prepare his food differently from the rest of his siblings so he would be able to eat.

School was a challenge. Trinoy was very quiet. His cleft affected his speech. Some of the other boys said things about his lip, which made him feel bad.

Trinoy’s family remained a constant source of love and support. His older siblings treated him like their own son, which warmed Shilpi’s heart. Cleft treatment remained far from their minds, if only because they did not know of any safe options.

That changed when Trinoy was nine years old. Through a neighbor, the family heard about Comilla Trauma Center, Smile Train’s local partner. They even met a patient who had their own successful cleft procedure done there and recommended it.

Shilpi was encouraged — but needed further proof. She was not taking any chances with her youngest boy. It was only after hearing multiple positive accounts that she felt comfortable enough to pay Comilla a visit.

At the Center, the staff welcomed Shilpi and Trinoy and walked them through a treatment plan. To start, they recommended two surgeries: one to heal his lip, another to heal his palate.

They also shared another key detail, one that made Shilpi well up with emotion: All of Trinoy’s cleft care would be free thanks to the Center’s partnership with Smile Train.

“I can’t express it in words,” Shipli says of her reaction to the news and her deep gratitude to Smile Train’s donors.

Trinoy’s family had finally found cleft care they trusted. On top of that, it would be free. Still, as the first surgery approached, Shilpi was nervous.

“The night before was quite horrible and terrifying for me,” she reflects. “So much tension and fear. I prayed to God that somehow it would go well.”

When Trinoy emerged from surgery and Shilpi finally saw him, all her worries melted away.

“I was very happy,” she says. “I did not believe my eyes.”

When Trinoy returned to school after surgery, his teacher helped explain his cleft treatment to his classmates. They were happy for him! Trinoy no longer receives any comments about his lip. Nowadays, he particularly enjoys reading Bengali poetry in his schoolbooks.

Outside of class, Trinoy loves cricket, and especially soccer. He plays as much as he can, and his favorite team is Brazil. Someday, he says, he wants to be like Neymar.

Shilpi explains that Trinoy may soon begin speech therapy so he will feel more comfortable expressing himself. If they do decide to seek speech and language therapy, that, too, would be completely paid for as part of Smile Train’s commitment to making comprehensive cleft care available to all in need.

“I am very thankful and grateful for Smile Train,” she says.

“I hope that they can continue their good works in Bangladesh, and in other regions as well.

“I wish them more growth and success.”