Teacher, Operation Smile Philippines help pupil with cleft lip

TEACHERS have often been regarded as role models who educate and guide the youth all throughout the world. But one particular teacher from Dagami, Leyte expressed her strong love for one of her students by going the extra mile.

Failani Justimbaste, a grade school teacher in a remote village of Balilit, was determined to ensure that her student Joann (full name withheld) got free surgery from Operation Smile Philippines’s medical mission in Tacloban City.

“I got hurt when students bullied Joann because of her deformity. The girl is shy, but she has a lot of potential and patience,” said the 48-year-old teacher.

Failani saw how the girl’s condition affected her mentally and socially. She also witnessed how Joann was unable to interact with her classmates.

Joann’s father works hard to make ends meet through several manual labor jobs. He earns a meager income from being a farmer one day and a carpenter the next. Aside from providing for six children, he also takes care of his wife who is suffering from mental illness.

Failani chanced upon an Operation Smile poster announcing the group’s medical mission while she was riding a bus to Tacloban City.

Motivated to help her student get a better quality of life, Failani registered Joann for a screening last Nov. 11 at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in the city.

“The father was hesitant at first to let Joann join the mission because he was scared that his daughter would not be able to eat after the operation. The father was also scared that he would not be able to understand the process during the screening because he could not read and write in English and Tagalog,” she said.

Failani assured Joann’s father that she would be with her from screening until the procedure was done.

Joann was among the 154 children and young adults who underwent comprehensive screening and care. After screening and tests, Joann was scheduled for cleft lip surgery last Nov. 13.

On the day of the surgery, Failani joined Joann and her father. They endured a two-hour commute from Dagami to get to the hospital.

Failani was supposed to have classes on that day, but she excused herself. She told the principal that she did not want to miss her student’s operation.

“I wanted to be there to personally tell Joann that after the surgery, she will be beautiful,” she said.

In charge of the procedure was Dr. Laurence Loh, a successful practitioner of aesthetic and plastic surgery.

The medical mission was joined by numerous volunteers and headed by Dr. Loh who has been a dedicated and active volunteer for Operation Smile in the last 24 years. (S)