Daniel Burbano was born seventeen years ago with a massive facial cleft, one that is medically classified as a median 0/14 Tessier cleft, a very rare congenital deformity. Born in Popayan, Colombia to an impoverished family, Daniel and his parents found help soon after he was born when they were referred to the craniofacial clinic at San José Children’s Hospital in Bogotá. Since its inception, the clinic has been led by highly renowned Dr. Rolando Prada, a WorldCF medical director, and the clinic has become one of the foundation’s most important affiliated centers.

Dr. Prada evaluated the infant Daniel, then led the first of what have become numerous surgeries because of the complexity of Daniel’s deformity. Over the years, he has undergone a nasal reconstruction procedure, orbital-wall medialization procedures, and recently a bilateral orbital box osteotomy to correct his severe hypertelorism—his abnormally wide-set eyes.

The recent operation, performed by Dr. Prada and his multidisciplinary team, which included Dr. Pablo Baquero, a highly experienced neurosurgeon, went very well. Daniel had a smooth post-operative recovery and he’s already back in Popayan, his hometown, with his grateful family.