Katie Krell
news@greenepublishing.com
July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month, and this is Judah's story.
Judah Hale is three years old. He was born with a cleft lip and palate, meaning that the tissue of his lip and the roof of his mouth were not fully closed. He was diagnosed by ultrasound at 20 weeks gestation and since then has had four surgeries to correct his lip and palate and help make Judah's life easier.
Judah's first surgery was at three months old to repair his cleft lip. His second surgery, at 12 months old, was to close his palate, and his third surgery, at three years old, was to lengthen his palate to help improve Judah's speech. His fourth and most recent surgery was on Tuesday, July 21, to insert ear tubes, also known as tympanostomy tubes. This is a common surgery for kids with cleft palates, as the tubes help drain fluids and improve hearing issues caused by the lack of palate tissue.
Judah's parents had to take a couple of extra precautions in the beginning. For the first few months of his life, Judah used a special bottle designed for cleft babies. This bottle helped make eating easier because of his cleft palate. Also, after Judah's first two surgeries, his doctors had him wear arm restraints, or "no-no's" as he called them, for six weeks post operation. This kept him from trying to touch his mouth and risk tearing out the stitching.
Cleft babies, like Judah, aren't that uncommon. In fact, cleft conditions are the fourth most common birth defect in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 2,518 babies are born with both a cleft lip and palate each year. National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month is to help raise awareness for children with orifacial conditions like Judah's.
Judah sees a team of doctors once a year to assess his progress and determine any necessary interventions. His Craniofacial team consists of a dentist, a plastic surgeon, a geneticist, an orthodontist and a speech therapist. The biggest challenge Judah and his family have faced has been his speech and understanding what he is trying to communicate.
The journey has definitely not been an easy one. His family was worried when they first learned about Judah's condition, and wanted to know what they could do to best help him. "But, over time we learned more information about this particular defect and the support of our friends and family made it a lot easier to cope with the news," Theresa, his mother, commented. "At times, it has been emotionally exhausting because of the doctor's appointments, surgeries and recovery. We are most grateful for the fact that Judah has been otherwise perfectly healthy."
Nonetheless, Judah has lived a relatively normal life. He enjoys eating popsicles and ice cream, especially after his doctor's appointments, and loves to play with his toy cars and Play-Doh. He loves watching the Toy Story movies with his family and reading the "Baby Jesus Story" at Christmas.
Judah Hale is the youngest son of Aaron and Theresa Hale. He has an older sister, Ava (eight years old); an older brother, Eli (six years old); and a new younger sister, Hannah (one-month-old).
Judah may have more surgeries and procedures as he grows, but doctors can't predict exactly how many or what other therapies or interventions he may need. Although we don't know what the future holds for Judah, he is a bright light to the lives of those around him and brings joy to his family and friends.