Loma Linda University Health Honors 15 Years of Life-Changing Cleft Care at Emotional Reunion
2 min read
Logan Flores and his mother Martha Contreras-Flores
Loma Linda University Health hosted its 15-year reunion for cleft lip and craniofacial patients, a heartwarming event filled with games, reunions that brought together former and current patient families, and a mobile dental clinic on Sunday, July 13.
Among those came to celebrate was Martha Contreras-Flores of San Bernardino, whose son Logan Flores, now 15, was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. She first learned about his condition during a 3D ultrasound at seven months pregnant, when she noticed that there was a shadow around his face. She says she knew something was wrong. She was referred to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where Logan underwent coordinated, multidisciplinary care, including the use of an innovative pre-surgical device called the PNAM (Pre-surgical Nasal Alveolar Molding).
“These reunions are more than a celebration,” said Dr. Jung Wei “Anna” Chen, chair, and program director of pediatric dentistry at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. “They provide a sense of belonging. Older patients become a mirror for younger ones, and parents connect in ways that build a support network. It’s powerful. Kids born with cleft often ask, ‘Why am I different?’ Even after successful surgery, their emotional needs remain, and we’re here for them.”
Infants born with cleft lip and palate often face a range of complex, lifelong health challenges that require specialized, coordinated care. At Loma Linda University Health, the craniofacial team provides comprehensive treatment that begins at birth and continues through adolescence. The team includes:
- Pediatrician
- Plastic surgeon
- Feeding consultant
- Speech pathologist
- Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist
- Pediatric dentist
- Orthodontist
- Oral surgeon
- Prosthodontist
- Social worker
- General dentist
This multidisciplinary team works together to address each patient’s medical, dental, developmental, and emotional needs at every stage of their growth.
