Kids Action for Kids funded a medical mission at Sappasitiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani in September 2013. Seven and twelve months later we visited 5 of the patients and their families in their homes. 80 children with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities received life-changing surgeries during this four-day-mission.

In April and September 2014, we traveled upcountry to visit five of these children, to see how they were doing. We met five healthy and happy kids and their families.

Below you can learn more about Lak, Ou, Rin, Ohm, Google and their families. You can also see photos from our trips.

We plan to follow these five kids in the future, too, so that we can see them grow up and develop. If you would like to join us following them, please check here.

For more, please also watch our 10-minute video presenting Lak, Ou, Rin, Ohm, Google and their stories. 

Lak (Worapruch by given name) 

Lak lives in Sisaket, Thailand. He was born with cleft lip and cleft palate and he received surgery for his cleft lip at Sappasitiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani when he was 9 months old. You can see his photos below, taken just before the surgery, and then 7 and 12 months after the surgery, when he was respectively 16 and 21 months old.

Lak is a twin and is oldest of the two. His twin brother Ou was born with the same condition and had surgery of his cleft lip on the same day. They will both get surgery for their cleft palate later.

The twins also have an elder brother. Their parents are farmers, growing rice, and cassava.

To see more photos from our visits to the twins’ and their family, please scroll down to the gallery at the bottom of the page.

Ou (Wongsiri)

Ou lives in Sisaket, Thailand. He was born with cleft lip and cleft palate and he received surgery for his cleft lip at Sappasitiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani when he was 9 months old. You can see his photos below, taken just before the surgery, and then 7 and 12 months after the surgery, when he was respectively 16 and 21 months old. Ou is a twin, and is the youngest of the two. His twin brother Lak was born with the same condition and had surgery of his cleft lip on the same day. They will both get surgery for their cleft palate later.

The twins also have an older brother. Their parents are farmers, growing rice and cassava.

To see more photos from our visits to the twins’ and their family, please scroll down to the gallery at the bottom of the page.

Rin (Warinyupa)

Rin lives in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. She was born with bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate, and received surgery at Sappasitiprasong Hospital in her home province when she was 5 months old. You can see her photos below, taken just before the surgery, and then 7 and 12 months after the surgery, when she had just turned 1 year and at 17 months.

Rin lives together with her mom and dad, and grandma and grandpa. Her parents are farmers, and they grow rice, cassava and rubber trees.

To see more photos from our visits to Rin and her family, please scroll down to the gallery at the bottom of the page.

Ohm (Patipan)

Ohm lives in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. He was born with cleft lip and a small tumor at his nose. Ohm received surgery at Sappasitiprasong Hospital in his home province when he was 5 months old. You can see his photos below, taken just before the surgery, and then 7 and 12 months after the surgery, when he had just turned 1 year and at 17 months.

Ohm lives with his mom and dad in the countryside, where his parents are working as rice farmers and his father also has a job repairing things.

To see more photos from our visits to Ohm and his family, please scroll down to the gallery at the bottom of the page.

Google (Narthawat)

Google lives in Yasothorn province in Thailand. He was born with cleft lip and cleft palate, and he received surgery at Sappasitiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani when he was 6 months old. You can see his photos below, taken just before the surgery, and then 7 and 12 months after the surgery, when he was 13 and 18 months.

Google lives with his mom and dad, and he also has an older brother named “Gaga”.

To see more photos from our visits to Google and his family, please scroll down to the gallery at the bottom of the page.

Photo credits: ©Kids Action for Kids / N.O. Photography and Jørgen Udvang