Love at first sight and beyond

Today, I’m sharing one of the most amazing moments and experiences I have had in the course of my volunteerism. I have experienced wonderful stories that are both inspiring and motivating. Some are sad and sorrowful experiences that made me cry (literally).

In this post, I will share an amazing story of a couple who were born with cleft lip in a rural Nigerian village. Many Cleft lip patients are only able to fall in love and marry after they receive surgery. Whether it be the stigma, shame, or any of the other negative feelings associated with the cleft, these emotions prevent those with un-repaired clefts from experiencing one of the most universal milestones—marriage.

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The case of Sule Alhassan and his wife, Lami takes a different turn. It is the cleft they shared that brought them together. The couple hails from Maiha in Adamawa state, Northeastern Nigeria, and were among the over 200 cleft patients that were treated in Adamawa state during my National Youth Service in partnership with Oral Health Advocacy Initiative, OHAIA Africa!.

The two met when Sule saw Lami while working as a gatekeeper for the local hospital—it was his first day on the job. Lami at the time was a beggar, stigmatized because of her cleft. Sule recalls their first meeting with much joy. He said he was instantly attracted to Lami for her beauty and because she shared something in common with him. Not long after their first meeting, Sule proposed marriage.
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Lami accepted Sule’s proposal they have been married for 16 years and have 13 children! Through nine pregnancies Lami has delivered one set of triplets, two sets of twins, and has had six single births. None of the children were born with a cleft.

Living in an area of Nigeria where the average person makes a little less than four dollars a day and raising 13 children, the couple never imagined they would be able to have their clefts repaired because of the cost. Thanks to Smile train!, our sponsors, and partners through which they were able to get the surgery they had waited decades for.
Both Sule and Lami had successful surgeries and are excited about their new look, new smile, and new life.

PS: We have many people – both children and adult in Nigeria who are still suffering from cleft and the associated stigma. We want to reach out to more communities in the country and in Africa at large to breathe air and give a new life to the patients. We’d be honored with your support

Thank you for reading.