July 24, 2024
Peak specialist care inspires mountain fundraiser
A family grateful for the peak patient care received by their baby daughter organised a fundraising mountain climb as a thank you.
Baby Tallulah, now six months, was born with a cleft lip and palate on both sides, what’s known as bilateral, and she has already had one operation at The Welsh Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate at Morriston Hospital.
With two more operations to go before her first birthday, Tallulah’s mum and dad Dominique Miguel and Jamie Stoneman banded together with friends as Tallulah’s Tribe and completed a sponsored walk up Pen y Fan.
Dominique, Jamie and Tallulah have now handed a cheque for £1,450 over to the cleft lip and palate team, who will use it to support other families going through the same thing.
Dominique said she and Jamie found out about Tallulah’s cleft before she was born.
She said: “They thought that she would be born with a cleft lip and palate. Obviously, it was very traumatic, but the team have been amazing. They have done so much and have helped so much.
“They have answered every single question we had – and we’ve had lots of questions. They’ve been our comfort blanket.
“The surgeon did a fantastic job. Tallulah has been amazing and she looks amazing already.
“She has only had the first operation but the gap has closed. We’re really happy.”
Helen Extence, Lead Speech and Language Therapist and Clinical Director for the Welsh Cleft Lip and Palate Service, said: “We use any donations made to the unit to improve patient care and to support staff in their training and learning so we can further improve the service we offer.”
Left to right: Helen Extence, Richard Thomson, Chuley Walton, Emma Gregory, Nicola Goldhawk , Dominique Miguel, Tallulah and Jamie Stoneman
Dominique Miguel (back row third from left) and partner Jamie Stoneman (back row fourth) from left with friends at the summit of Pen y Fan