A Blessing from God and the Landlord

When they decided to start a family, Ahmad and Darmawi moved from a remote area of Indonesia to the city in hopes of providing more opportunity for their children. The family was living in a single rented room under their landlord’s house when their second child, Ikhsan, was born with a cleft lip and palate. They didn’t know what his condition meant but trusted that it was a blessing from God.

Ikhsan’s cleft made nursing difficult until Darmawi acquired a special bottle for feeding him. Though times were difficult, the couple had the constant support of their family and community, particularly their landlord, who knew an organization that could help. He referred them to a local Smile Train social worker, who wasted no time scheduling Ikhsan for surgery.

When the family saw their son’s new smile for the first time, they sighed in relief and thanked God for this additional blessing. Back at their room under the house, the landlord invited the whole community to celebrate Ikhsan’s transformation.