Pim, Pride of the Family

“I was so upset. I was shocked. I didn’t expect it at all.”

Initially, Bongkot refused to believe that her granddaughter would be born with a cleft — her family had no history of it!

She held out hope that, somehow, the doctor had read the ultrasound incorrectly. If her first grandchild did turn out to be cleft-affected, there was no way the family could afford treatment. She lay awake at night worrying over how her family would survive spending the rest of their lives in crippling debt.

On her birthday, Bongkot nervously accompanied her daughter, Thita, to Khon Khan University Hospital (KKUH). When the moment came and the baby emerged with a cleft, just as the doctor had predicted, all their months of preparation vanished like smoke. They wept inconsolably.

“We didn’t know what to do,” Bongkot said.

Fortunately, they were surrounded by people who did. Doctors and nurses quickly stepped in to soothe their fears, explaining that KKUH is a Smile Train partner, which meant they were in exactly the right place.

Thita picked out a name for her baby girl: Bongkot. It felt right, given she shared a birthday with her grandmother. Eventually, everyone came to call her by the nickname Pim.

The elder Bongkot spent the next few days at the hospital waiting for Thita and Pim to be discharged. In the halls, she noticed other families like hers, seeking out cleft treatment for their own babies. She began to feel less alone.

At home, they ran into a new set of challenges. No matter how much Thita tried, Pim had difficulty taking in milk. She cried and cried with hunger. Thankfully, her extended family stayed close, providing much-needed support and understanding. And with direction from the staff at KKUH, she underwent a crash course in how to best feed her daughter.

When Pim turned three months old, Thita took her back to KKUH for cleft lip surgery. They returned around a year later for cleft palate surgery. Each time, Bongkot was terrified.

“I thought, what if something happens to her? What if she doesn’t wake up?”

Pim always emerged safe and healthy. And thanks to Smile Train, both surgeries were completely free, so the family never had to take on lifelong debt simply to get their child the care she needed.

Today, Pim is a happy, energetic nine-year-old who loves spending time with her friends. She is also a budding musician: She sings, plays the ukelele, and is a big fan of Lisa from the singing group Blackpink.

Pim is now receiving Smile Train-sponsored speech therapy at KKUH. She also recently got the chance to attend a camp we sponsored for local kids with clefts, where she bonded with an older camper who is studying medicine. Now, Pim dreams of being a pharmacist.

“I’m very proud of my granddaughter,” Bongkot beamed.

“I feel very grateful that we were able to receive support from Smile Train. Without their help, we would not be able to support ourselves and still get her cleft care.”