Among organizations that help with birth defects, the Little Baby Face Foundation provides no-cost reconstructive care to children with facial differences. Our world-class volunteer surgeons donate their time and expertise, while donor contributions help cover essential costs such as anesthesia, operating room fees, travel, and lodging. Together, we make specialized care accessible to children and families who need our support.
For donors, knowing where a contribution goes matters. Behind every donation is an opportunity to help a child receive care, support a family through a difficult journey, and remove financial barriers that might otherwise stand in the way.
What Does Donor Support Actually Fund?
Donations to the Little Baby Face Foundation help cover the essential expenses that make no-cost reconstructive care possible. Although many of our surgeons volunteer their time, providing specialized care involves much more than the procedure itself.
In our experience, getting a child the right care involves much more than the surgery itself. Families may need help with travel, lodging, meals, medications, specialized equipment, anesthesia, operating room fees, and other essential expenses.
That is where our donors become an important part of the journey.
How Much Can a Donation Help Cover?
- $500 can cover up to 10 nights of lodging at Ronald McDonald House for a child and their family.
- $1,000 can help provide round-trip transportation to New York City for a child and their parent or guardian.
- $5,000 can fund travel, food, lodging, medications, and other essential support for a single one-time procedure.
These examples show how contributions can support different parts of a child's care journey. Actual expenses depend on each family's needs and the care provided.
We believe donors deserve to understand the real impact of their generosity. Every gift helps us remove a financial barrier that could otherwise stand between a child and specialized care.
Dylan’s Story: Feeling Heard and Supported
Dylan came to us from Virginia Beach in 2023. Born with Goldenhar syndrome and hemifacial microsomia with microtia, he had taken the initiative to research his options and seek help himself.
His care included double jaw surgery. When our founder and medical director, Dr. Thomas Romo III, evaluated Dylan’s ear, he chose a more conservative approach rather than putting Dylan through a more extensive reconstruction. His treatment included repositioning his ears to improve balance and a small procedure on the tip of his nose to help with breathing and facial symmetry.
What makes Dylan’s story especially meaningful to us is what happened beyond the procedures. When he later returned to New York, he spoke about his experience and thanked our team for making him feel heard and valued throughout his care.
His journey was also made possible in part through donor generosity. Much of Dylan’s surgery was funded by a gift from the Zyman Family Foundation.
For us, Dylan's experience shows what donor support can mean beyond financial assistance. It helps connect children with skilled professionals who listen to their needs and make thoughtful, individualized care decisions. Every child deserves to feel heard, respected, and supported throughout their care journey.
Bjorn’s Story: When Care Is a Journey
Bjorn came to us from Jamaica at age 14 and began treatment with us in December 2023. He was born with microtia and atresia and hemifacial microsomia, and he also had a large mass on his tongue.
From the beginning, we knew his care would involve several steps.
His first surgery removed the mass on his tongue, which had been interfering with his speech and eating. During that visit, Dr. Romo also began reconstructing his ear using rib cartilage to create a foundation for the ear structure.
Bjorn later underwent a second-stage procedure that included placement of a bone-anchored hearing aid by Dr. Darius Kohan, a leading otologist and neurotologist who volunteers his time and expertise with our children.
One of the milestones we were able to share with Bjorn and his mother was the activation of that hearing device. Before it was turned on, he had little to no hearing in his microtic ear. His treatment journey was not finished at that point, but it was an important moment for him and his family.
We have seen through families like Bjorn’s that reconstructive care does not always happen in a single visit. Some children require multiple procedures and ongoing care, which can also mean repeated travel, lodging, medical expenses, and coordination.
That is why sustained donor support matters.
Our donors help us provide the resources families need throughout their approved care journeys, whether that involves one procedure or several stages of treatment.
How Has Donor Support Helped Children Around the World?
Since 2002, we have performed 700 surgeries and changed more than 550 lives. We have reached children from more than 25 countries with the support of over 100 medical professionals.
Behind every one of those numbers is a child and a family with their own story.
Our surgeons can donate their time and expertise, but there are still real costs involved in delivering care. Donor support helps us cover anesthesia, operating room fees, travel, lodging, and other essential services so accepted families can receive care at no cost.
For children like Dylan and Bjorn, that support has helped make specialized care accessible while allowing our medical team to respond to each child's individual needs.
We have heard from our patients and families how meaningful it can be to finally find a team that listens, understands their needs, and can help them move forward. Our donors help make those moments possible.
Donate today and help us continue transforming faces and building futures.
Why Is Donor Support Important to Organizations That Help With Birth Defects?
For organizations that help with birth defects, access to skilled medical professionals is only one part of providing care. Families may also face financial and practical challenges that make it difficult to reach the support they need.
At the Little Baby Face Foundation, our volunteer medical professionals provide their expertise, while donor generosity helps us address many of the essential costs involved. This combination allows us to focus on providing individualized reconstructive care without placing the approved costs of treatment on accepted families.
It also helps us support children whose care may take place over several visits rather than one procedure. Every contribution plays a part in this work. Together, we can help more children access specialized care while supporting their families along the way.
When you donate to the Little Baby Face Foundation, you become part of a child's care journey. Your generosity helps cover the essential expenses that allow our volunteer surgeons and medical teams to provide no-cost reconstructive care to children with facial differences.
Whether a contribution helps with transportation, lodging, anesthesia, or operating room fees, it supports the work that makes care possible.
Learn how your support becomes care. Read Why Comprehensive Care Matters for Children with Facial Differences to see how donor generosity helps us support children and families beyond surgery, from travel and lodging to guidance throughout their care journey.
Donation Frequently Asked Questions
How does my donation help a child at Little Baby Face Foundation?
Your donation helps us cover the essential costs that make no-cost care possible. While many of our surgeons donate their time and expertise, we still need to fund expenses such as travel, lodging, medications, specialized equipment, meals, and other services connected with a child’s care.
Does Little Baby Face Foundation provide care at no cost to families?
Yes. For children accepted into our program, we provide approved reconstructive care at no cost to the child or family. The first step for a family seeking help is to complete our confidential online application. Our medical team then reviews the child’s information to determine eligibility.
Why are donations needed if Little Baby Face Foundation’s surgeons volunteer?
Volunteer surgeon time is an important part of how we provide care, but surgery involves many additional expenses. We still need to cover costs such as anesthesia, operating room fees, transportation, lodging, medications, and other essential needs. Donor support helps us bridge that gap so families do not have to carry those costs themselves.
Can donations help children who travel from other countries?
Yes. We have helped children from more than 25 countries access specialized care. For accepted families, donor support helps cover approved travel, lodging, and other essential expenses associated with receiving care in New York City. Each child's eligibility and care needs are reviewed individually by our medical team.
How can I support children receiving reconstructive care?
You can support our mission by donating, sharing our patient stories, or exploring opportunities to partner or volunteer with the Little Baby Face Foundation. Financial contributions help cover the essential costs that allow us to continue offering no-cost reconstructive care to accepted children and families.
