Sakib Says Bye to the Bullies
Sakib had no friends until he was five. Now, everyone wants him on their team
Sahina had never seen a cleft until she first held Sakib in her arms.
As Sakib grew up, he was constantly bullied. By classmates at school. By people in his neighborhood. They made fun of his face and his lips and the way he spoke. As each insult chipped away at his confidence, Sakib turned inward, losing interest in games or socializing.
Sahina and the family did their best to support him. But they could not stop the taunts, and they did not know of any medical procedures that could help him.
Sakib seemed destined to live alone forever. Then, when he was five, a doctor traveling through the neighborhood saw him and talked to his parents about cleft treatment. Two years later, the family moved to the city of Comilla, where they discovered Comilla Trauma Center, a local Smile Train partner.
There, Sakib finally received the cleft surgery he needed. Sahina cried with joy when she saw him afterward. She also felt immense gratitude: Sakib’s life-changing cleft treatment at Comilla was completely free for the family thanks to Smile Train donors. Without the support, they would not have been able to afford it.
Now 13, Sakib has lost any trace of shyness and no longer worries about bullying. He loves playing cricket with friends — once he’s involved in a game, Sahina has a hard time getting him home. She is thrilled to see how he has blossomed into a happy, outgoing adolescent.
For her part, Sahina has become an outspoken proponent of cleft care. “Whenever I find anyone in my community who has a child with a cleft, I tell them about Comilla Trauma Center and advise them to go. The doctors there treated us like VIPs.”
“I want to thank you,” she said. “I’m so happy that you are helping people like us in Bangladesh and around the world.”
Help a child struggling with access to cleft care.
