A Promise to the Next Me: Johan’s Path to Healing and Helping

Just 18 years old, Johan stands ready to begin a new chapter in life.

As a recent graduate of high school, he is preparing for college with big dreams ahead, but his journey so far has already been extraordinary. As a cleft lip and cleft palate patient at Shriners Children’s Texas for more than a decade, Johan is now nearing the end of one of the most significant phases of his treatment: a procedure known as maxillary distraction osteogenesis.

Johan currently wears a device known as a maxillary distractor, which helps correct maxillary hypoplasia, a condition where the upper jaw is underdeveloped. The treatment involves a surgical procedure followed by the gradual movement of the jaw forward using the device. It’s a long and often uncomfortable process to endure, but one Johan has approached with admirable resilience and a sense of purpose.

“Shriners Children’s to me represents the fact that people care,” Johan said. “Everyone has put effort into making sure my life is better. Shriners Children’s is what inspired me to want to go into medicine. I look around here when I come here every week, and I just see people who put their all into making other people’s lives matter, and that’s inspirational to me.”

Johan has future aspirations of becoming a medical doctor, either a maxillary surgeon or anesthesiologist, driven by a deep desire to give back and be a role model for others with cleft conditions. “None of the doctors I’ve had have a cleft,” he said. “I want to be there for the next me as someone who has been through it and can comfort them, to be a calming presence for the next person like me.”

His doctor, Kamal F. Busaidy, D.D.S., a surgeon at Shriners Children’s Texas, has witnessed Johan’s transformation firsthand. “It is remarkable how intelligent, courageous and kind this young man is. He has endured his treatment with immense commitment and patience, and always with gratitude. We are so proud of him.”

Outside the hospital, Johan has a passionate interest in robotics, recently competing in a VEX Robotics event in Dallas, and he enjoys building model kits and assembling complex systems. “I like building things and putting things together,” he said with a smile. He’s also an avid swimmer and has been swimming for fun for a number of years.

Johan’s family heritage is equally important to him. His mother is Malaysian, and he is active in the local Malaysian community in Houston, volunteering at youth events and helping organize cultural activities. Whether it’s through his community service or his goal for a future career in medicine, Johan exemplifies empathy, dedication and leadership.

From a young boy navigating years of surgeries and appointments to a young man ready to dedicate his life to healing others, Johan’s journey is a powerful testament to the impact of compassionate wrap-around care. At Shriners Children’s Texas, he not only found treatment and healing, Johan found his calling.