Noah’s Smile Is a Rainbow After a Storm

It was surreal yet very real. He was right there, squirming away on the screen. Esraa and Mostafa could hardly believe their lifelong dreams of parenthood were only a few short months away from being fulfilled. Their hearts flooded with joy.

Then the ultrasound technician stopped the probe and squinted. Her face said it first. Something was wrong.

Their baby would have a cleft. The news left the couple stunned, but the feeling soon wore off, and they were once again only grateful. Getting the shock out of the way now meant they could — and would — use the rest of Esraa’s pregnancy to prepare themselves to give their special son all the love and care he needed.

When Esraa went into labor, they were ready as could be. Until a new shock hit: Their son also had a congenital heart condition. They again found themselves inundated with fear, this time while Esraa held a screaming newborn whose cleft stopped him from nursing. But this panic also quickly receded. One look at their son’s unique smile was all it took to bring the new parents comfort in the midst of chaos. They named him Noah.

"We went through tough times during the first days and months because of our anxiety over Noah's health,” Esraa said. “Our priority was his heart condition, which, by the grace of God, we managed to overcome after a successful surgery."

The relief proved short-lived. Even with his heart condition under control, Noah’s cleft still made eating and breathing a constant struggle. Each night, after Noah finally stopped crying with hunger and fell asleep, Esraa and Mostafa lay awake wondering how their frail little baby could possibly survive a second major surgery.  

But he was wasting away by the day. They had to do something.

Though all their early preparations had felt like a joke when Noah was born with his heart condition, they proved crucial in that moment of desperation because they had put the family in touch with Al-Nour Hospital, their local Smile Train partner. They went in for a consultation, and were immediately greeted with soothing smiles and even more soothing facts:

We are a local team of specially trained experts. We will put together a detailed treatment plan tailored exactly to Noah’s long-term needs. We will always be there to see his plan through and address any emergencies that might arise, and thanks to Smile Train, all of his care will always be completely free.

After over a year of living in constant dread, Mostafa and Esraa at last allowed themselves to breathe a sigh of relief. And get some much-needed sleep.

On the day of Noah’s surgery, all of Esraa’s best plans once again shattered against reality. Much as the doctors had earned her trust, every fiber of her maternal instinct revolted against handing her baby over to people who were going to take him away from her, cut into him, change him. She might not have been able to do it at all if Mostafa and members of Noah’s cleft team hadn’t stayed by her side before and during the surgery.  

She didn’t need them afterward. 

“I was so happy when I saw Noah after the surgery,” Mostafa said. “His new smile was our long-awaited dream, and it filled our hearts with joy!"

Now three, Noah’s smile is like a rainbow after a storm, brightening the day of all who see it. Esraa and Mostafa see a good life ahead for their son, a life of destiny. After all, he’s already helped them experience joys of parenthood beyond their wildest dreams.

“Thank you to the medical team at Al-Nour and Smile Train for their support and care,” Esraa said. “We are forever grateful to the donors who gave our precious son a second chance at life.”