Shriners Children’s Boston Is the Right Place for Cleft Lip and Palate Care
After one visit, Beccalyn knew Shriners Children’s Boston was the right place for her son’s cleft lip and palate treatment.
“There was no question about going anywhere else, so we traveled four hours from Vermont,” said Beccalyn. “The staff made sure we understood everything surrounding Flynn’s care plan.” Flynn’s family learned about the Shriners Children’s healthcare system through a family friend, who brings their daughter to the Boston location for treatment. “They raved about the hospital,” recalled Beccalyn.
Flynn’s family learned about his diagnosis during Beccalyn’s 20-week anatomy scan. Facial clefts form in the womb and are the No. 1 craniofacial birth difference treated at Shriners Children’s. A cleft lip forms when the lip does not properly develop, causing a newborn’s smile to split. A cleft palate is the result of tissues on the roof of a child’s mouth not fusing. If the conditions are not fixed, they can affect breathing, speaking, eating and appearance.
Flynn is now 8 months old and had his first surgery for his cleft lip in July. His mom remembers he woke up smiling at the staff taking care of him. “Flynn was flirting so hard with all the nurses. I could not believe he had woken up from a several-hour surgery and he was so thrilled to be getting the best cuddles from the staff.”
A member of Flynn’s medical team whom Beccalyn is extremely fond of is Kavitha L. Ranganathan, M.D.. Dr. Ranganathan is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the co-director of the cleft and craniofacial center at Shriners Children’s Boston, a collaborative program with MassGeneral Hospital for Children. “The cleft lip and palate clinic at Shriners Children’s Boston is my biggest source of joy,” said Dr. Ranganathan. Patients receive a comprehensive care plan to meet their clinical and developmental needs. Patients can access plastic surgeons, speech pathologists, orthodontists and dietitians in a single visit.
Shriners Children’s Boston is the best for your child because one of the hospital’s specialties is cleft lip and palate care. It’s important for families to go somewhere that focuses on these components of excellence because we strive to do the best for our patients.
