As parents, it hurts us to see our child suffer from a physical disability; but we are grateful to the NCFPI for the support you have provided him. 

I am Christhaline Arellano, mother of Jedidiah Sealtiel. It causes parents pain and fear to hear that their child will be ridiculed and judged because of their appearance; this was our first reaction when we found out our baby had a cleft. 

It was a normal delivery when I gave birth to Jedidiah Sealtiel on December 29, 2019. Almost everyone who saw Sealtiel said he's a "poor baby" which offended us as parents.

So we decided to schedule an appointment with another foundation where Sealtiel's cousin had her surgery. Our baby has a cousin who is a cleft patient too, so they guided us on how to take good care of our babywhich made our new parents life easier.

Sealtiel was about 6 months old on June 6, 2020 when my former boss contacted me and introduced me Ms. Anji Lapitan, who was also a parent of an NCFPI patient. Ms. Anji Lapitan provided us with information about the NCFPI but the pandemic impacted the operation arrangements. It was supposed to be our scheduled operation on July 20, 2020, due to Sealtiel's cough and cold, it was rescheduled. We were losing hope at the time because our baby was getting older. If the operation would take longer, the result might be less satisfactory.|

By God's grace, Sealtiel received a schedule at each of the three foundations we approached aside from NCFPI. But we chose NCFPI because we saw exactly how good the doctors' surgery was there. They ensured that the operation's outcome would be satisfactory. The safety of babies was their priority.  We witnessed the dedication of everyone at NCFPI. The volunteers were devoted and had a genuine concern for the patients. They treated us well. Now, we're just waiting for his next surgery date which is his cleft palate.

We are extremely grateful to NCFPI and the sponsors, such as NCF Taiwan, for your never-ending support. You supported the instruments that will support my son’s operation. The NCF Taiwan also offered free RT-PCR testing, which lessens our worries. More than that, you also provided a monetary grant. It was a modest amount of money, but it helped us during our quarantine because our family had a close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid.

Thank you for giving us hope; being a channel of blessing to alleviate the parents' fears and anxieties; allowing our child to live a normal life; and for saving them from bullying. Thank you, NCF Family! May the Lord bless you!