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Because of your gifts, Janelle was able to receive care for her cleft palate from the amazing Cleft & Craniofacial Team at St. Mary's
For Jalisa Reed and her family, the birth of their fourth child Janelle was joyous, but it was immediately overshadowed by the realization that she’d been born with a cleft palate. Right away, the team at her local hospital began preparations to move Janelle to Bon Secours St. Mary’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she could be seen by their Cleft & Craniofacial Team.
It was a stressful and confusing time for the Reed family. But you were there for them!
“I had never known anyone personally who went through this,” Jalisa said.
Even more, the cleft and recessed tongue issues were preventing Janelle from getting the early nutrition she needed.
“It was scary at first dealing with a newborn who had a special condition that made it difficult for her to eat,” Jalisa said.
All of Jalisa’s fears were relieved when they met with Dr. Sharline Aboutanos and her team.
During their two-week stay in the NICU, Jalisa said that she felt a tremendous amount of comfort in her daughter’s care thanks to your generosity to the program.
“Dr. Aboutanos and her team answered every question, and they called and checked on us to make sure we were okay. When I am around them, I don’t feel like Janelle is just another patient. They actually care about her.”
Now, as the Reed family manages Janelle’s ongoing care, they are grateful for the support from Bon Secours.
“It eases our worries a lot, especially when we are going through a tremendous experience like surgery on our baby.”