Coalition doctors give Zaleikha a reason to smile

[darrels joy]

Coalition doctors give Zaleikha a reason to smile

Story by 2nd Lt. Christy Kercheval, Combined Joint Task Force 76 Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan?Knowing the skills of the Coalition doctors at Bagram, Zaleikha and her uncle hoped just showing up at the Bagram gate would be enough.

The pair traveled from Farah, on the other side of Afghanistan from Bagram, to see if Coalition surgeons could operate on 10-year-old Zaleikha and repair her cleft palate.

Once the doctors were made aware of the girl?s needs, they were eager to do what they could for her. Colonel Dallas Homas, a Combined Joint Task Force 76 surgeon, deployed here with the 25th Infantry Division (Light), performed the surgery March 2 at the U.S. hospital here at Bagram. Afterwards he said he was pleased with the operation, and it went well and looked very good.

Homas also said that immediately following the procedure, Zaleikha?s uncle was very happy and was smiling, and repeatedly gave the troops in the hospital the ?thumbs up? sign.

Zaleikha and her uncle were eager to begin the long journey back from the Bagram hospital shortly after the surgery, so Coalition doctors armed them with antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, preventative antibiotic medication and Tylenol for the pain. They were also encouraged to visit the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team to see the physician?s assistant and get the sutures removed.

Captain Winnie Paul, a physician?s assistant at the Farah PRT treated Zaleikha Thursday, and removed her sutures, ?She looked great and was all smiles.?

One of the more noticeable things, she said, was that Zaleikha no longer covered her mouth with her hand, ?she looked quite happy and in no distress when we saw her,? Paul said.

Paul said was glad to see her come to the PRT for treatment and was even more pleased to know that they had made a friend. Though she no longer needs the assistance of the doctors, Zaleikha said she would come to visit again soon in a few weeks, ?just to say hello.?

A two-hour procedure in an operating room in Bagram made all the difference for one Afghan girl and her family, and gave the Coalition forces involved something they?ll never forget.

[darrels joy]

By 2nd Lt. Christy Kerchavel, CJTF 76 Public Affairs

Captain Winnie Paul shares a smile with Zaleikha, after Paul removed her sutures from a surgery to repair her cleft lip. Zaleikha and her uncle traveled across the country to Bagram in the hopes that the doctors could perform a surgery to help her.

[Jerry D]

The Doctors did a great job fixing her cleft palat. Both my Father and his older sister had this at birth caused by poor nutrition during gestation by my grandmother.My Aunt's surgery as a child wasn't as well done as this little girls. My Father on the other hand got a different doctor and he only has a feint scar from it. This was a great story of our soldiers humanitarian work in SW Asia thanks Joy for posting

[darrels joy]

They are hereditary.

My grandfather had one. Not bad and easily hidden by a mustache.

My brother had one. Two surgeries at Madigan Hospital/Fort Lewis and he could suck a baby bottle. He even got his grown up teeth.

[Jerry D]

Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is the syndrome most commonly associated with a cleft palate, most usually cleft of the soft palate. A cleft lip may also occur. The incidence of VCFS is approximately 1:2000 of live births, and it occurs in 8% of cleft palate cases1.

VCFS is also known as Shprintzen syndrome after Dr. Robert Shprintzen who first described it in 1978. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, DiGeorge sequence and VCFS are clinically distinct but overlapping conditions.

The cause
The cause of VCFS is not known, although it is known to be a genetic disorder. Though the gene (or genes) responsible has not been identified, what has been ascertained is that a small part of chromosome 22, known as 22q11, is missing in the vast majority of individuals (approximately 82%)2 who are diagnosed as having VCFS.

Associated conditions
Aside from cleft palate, there are up to 184 other anomalies commonly associated with VCFS, including heart defects, unique facial characteristics (elongated face, almond-shaped eyes, small ears, wide nose), speech and feeding problems, middle ear infections, and learning difficulties. Not all anomalies are present in the child, nor is any one anomaly present in all cases. The features with which the child is born do not get progressively worse over time.

Inherited?
VCFS is an autosomal disorder, which means that only one parent needs to have the gene in order to pass it on to their offspring. In the case of one of the parents having the gene, there is a 50% chance of VCFS being passed on to the offspring. However, only 10-15% of cases are inherited3. There is no difference in the incidence of VCFS between the sexes.

How common is velocardiofacial syndrome?

Cleft palate is the fourth most common birth defect affecting approximately one of every 700 live births. VCFS occurs in approximately 5 to 8 percent of children born with a cleft palate. It is estimated that over 130,000 individuals in the United States have this syndrome.

Joy, I was just going by the cause the Doctors gave my Granma way back in the 40's it wasn't till 1978 the chromosome was id'd so I tend to forget that . So I guess we both might carry that gene then .

[darrels joy]

It's the first thing I checked when my children were born.
:re:

All were fine.

[Jerry D]

Thats great to hear Joy