Dylan from Virginia Beach arrived at our offices for the first time in 2023. Dylan, born with Goldenhar Syndrome and hemifacial microsomia with microtia, is so inspiring because he researched and sought out help on his own.

We want to introduce you to this sweet 3 year old boy from Cambodia, Seng Ly. He has been on quite a journey, not only traveling to New York City for the first time, but also in completely transforming his health and his face.

Reena, age 11 from the Philippines, came back to us recently to continue her treatment for the venous malformation on her lower lip, chin, gum, and tongue. Reena flew to New York City with her father for the first time in 2017 to have her first surgery with the Little Baby Face Foundation, and has had several trips back since.

Jaronn flew from the Philippines to New York City for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation recently for the second time. Jaroon was born with a venous malformation around his cheek, mouth, and nose that was growing progressively. Medical intervention was absolutely necessary, as the placement and size of his venous malformation impacted his eating, drinking, and speech.

Wynter, 9 years old was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, and has many of the typical features, including drooping lower eyelids, weak chin and cheeks, and microtia with atresia. Wynter had been seeing a craniofacial team in Florida, but her mother had a gut instinct that they needed more help than the team could provide. Wynter’s mother asked about reconstructive surgery for her ears and eyes, and she was told there was nothing they could do. Frustrated, she decided to do her own research and found the Little Baby Face Foundation on the internet and discovered more through our Facebook account. She was determined, she said, to find somebody who would at least evaluate Wynter and discuss treatment options.

Bjorn’s first surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation was to remove a large mass on his tongue, which was impeding his speech and eating. This surgery went very smoothly with a quick recovery. Bjorn was underweight and potentially undernourished when he first visited us, and he has gained weight since the surgery, so it’s clear just how beneficial this surgery has been for him.

We couldn’t be happier for Anisa, who has kicked off the New Year with a monumental step in her treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation. Her bone anchored hearing aid was turned on, and we got to share this incredible moment with her in our New York City office. It was so special and meaningful to us to see her reaction to hearing with her new BAHA. What a perfect way to go into a New Year for all of us.

Bjorn flew in for his first treatment for microtia and atresia with the Little Baby Face Foundation this month from Jamaica. Bjorn’s case is a prime example of just how difficult it can be to find the right help and treatment, especially for underprivileged families from countries with limited healthcare. Upon his visit, Dr. Romo, one of the nation’s leading plastic surgeons and founder of the Little Baby Face Foundation, identified that Bjorn also has hemifacial microsomia as well as a mass on his tongue, which means his microtia surgery will have to be postponed to allow for additional medical testing.

We will rewind a little bit for those who haven’t been following along with Elena’s case. Elena was born with a large hairy nevus covering her forehead and scalp that required surgical removal because it was at risk of becoming cancerous. She came to us for her first surgery in November 2022, and now, a year later the change is already quite incredible.

We are thrilled to report that Veronica, a 12 year old girl from Mexico born with microtia that impaired her hearing, recently had her second surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation, and everything went smoothly.

At the Little Baby Face Foundation, one of the most common conditions that we treat is hemangioma. (Cleft lip and palate are also prevalent, as they are the most common facial defect.) A hemangioma is a bright red birthmark, sometimes called a strawberry mark, that is made up of extra blood vessels. In most cases, it’s nothing to be concerned about, but sometimes if it grows at a rapid rate or is in a location that impedes a child’s wellbeing, it requires treatment.

Gracie was in for a visit this month for her latest laser treatment and to check the healing from her last bolster. Gracie, you may remember from a previous post, has an ulcerated hemangioma and anotia. She has a total of 6 surgeries to date here at the Little Baby Face Foundation.

Anisa is the sweetest, most articulate 12-year-old girl from Tajikistan. Born with microtia in her right ear, Anisa says it’s a dream come true to finally be getting surgery at the Little Baby Face Foundation to reconstruct her ear and improve her hearing.

Veronica, age 12, was born with microtia. Her right ear was deformed, blocking her ear canal and keeping her from hearing properly. This month, she flew all the way from Veracruz, Mexico to have her first surgery with us at the Little Baby Face Foundation.

Elena just celebrated her first birthday, so what better way to celebrate this sweet little toddler than by sharing her story.

Analeigha is the sweetest little baby girl from Oregon with a smile that lights up the room. Today, you’d probably never guess that was a patient of the Little Baby Face Foundation, but Analeigha started out her life with a hemangioma on her eye that grew to threaten her vision.

Maria is from Cochabamba, Bolivia. She is now 6 years old, a happy girl who loves to play soccer and sings all day. She also loves to go to school and play with her friends. Dollhouses, dolls, and puppets are her favorite toys to play with. Maria is learning English and knows her name, age, and how to count. To many, all of this may seem normal. To us and to her family, this is nothing short of amazing.

Meet Max, “the bravest man you’ll ever meet,” as his older brother Ian endearingly calls him. Max is actually an 11-year-old boy, but Ian is learning English. We think Ian’s vocabulary is very fitting, as Max really has the courage of someone well beyond his years.

Meet Reena, an incredible 11-year-old girl from Bulacan in the Philippines. Reena was born with a venous malformation on her lower lip, chin, gum, and tongue. An abnormal connection between the arteries and the veins, a venous malformation can be dangerous because it can rupture and cause bleeding. A venous malformation on the mouth area can be extremely painful and difficult to eat.

Gracie has a very large scar on her face due to the ulceration that is very tight, which makes it difficult for her to open her mouth. It’s actually difficult to fit even a teaspoon or a toothbrush, so she had a feeding tube placed at one month old.

Meet Dr. George Ferzli, one of our incredible otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons, more commonly referred to as an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT), a physician who treats diseases of the head and neck, both medically and surgically. As you can imagine, his expertise is indispensable to us at the Little Baby Face Foundation, in our mission to provide treatment to children born with facial birth defects regardless of race, religion, or financial status.

Yan, 13, has a venous malformation on his lower lip. His mother was not able to find a doctor who could help him in Puerto Rico. In fact, Yan’s condition was misdiagnosed as a hemangioma. It’s not uncommon for these conditions to be misdiagnosed.

Maria was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia with a hemangioma, or as her pediatrician called it, an angel’s kiss, on her upper lip. Hemagiomas are quite common and usually nothing to worry about, but in Maria’s case, it only got worse. On her second day, the hemangioma became more red. By the fifth day, it evolved into an ulceration, eroding the center of her upper lip. It was easy to mistake this as a cleft lip from the early photographs. Ulceration of hemangiomas occurs in up to 5% or 10% of all infants with lesions. They are quite painful and place the infant at risk for secondary bacterial infection. The pain is often severe enough to prevent an infant from sitting and being held. It’s also very difficult to repair. Maria was not able to be breastfed, and her parents fed her with a syringe avoiding touching her lip.

Jouri’s venous malformation was initially misdiagnosed as a hemangioma. She and her family visited many doctors in her home country of Morocco, but it wasn’t until she contacted the Vascular Birthmark Foundation that she was referred to Little Baby Face Foundation and diagnosed with a venous malformation.

Growths and deformities around the nose and mouth are particularly challenging to remove and often require a very skilled plastic surgeon to repair or rebuild the philtrum, which is the vertical groove above the top lip. Kendric was in the best hands at Little Baby Face Foundation, as we have some of the nation’s leading plastic surgeons specializing in facial birth defects.

Masyn has microtia and atresia, which you can read about on our blog in more detail here. One of his ears is very small and his ear canal is closed. He has no hearing in his right ear.

Colby was born with a strawberry birthmark on his eye that began to grow. His parents were young and this was their first child, but their instinct was spot-on: that Colby needed help. They took him to a doctor while they waited for a consultation with a referred specialist, which would take months. The doctor gave Colby medicine in hopes that the hemangioma would shrink, but it only continued to grow larger, eventually putting pressure on his eye and threatening loss of vision.