Woman with cleft palate asks for help from GMA Kapuso Foundation so she can have surgery

A woman from Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur is asking for help so she can have surgery for her cleft lip and palate.

According to a report on "24 Oras," Monday, Primalyn "Mesing" Elias, 20, had an operation on her cleft lip when she was five years old. Her second operation for her cleft palate, however, didn't push through because she kept getting sick.

As a result, she hasn't been able to go to school or socialize with people her age. Instead, she works hard to help her family in making salt. She also harvests peanuts, earning P3.50 per kilo, and trades junk for cash.

"Masipag, matulungin si Primalyn. Pag dumating siya, bumibili siya ng ulam namin. Tapos binibigyan nya 'yung kapatid niya," said Mesing's mom Ruby.

One of Mesing's relatives, Amelia Valdez, wrote to the GMA Kapuso Foundation to ask for help on her behalf.

"Naawa kasi ako dito kay Primalyn. Gusto kong matulungan para makapagpatuloy pa rin siguro siya sa pag-aaral," Amelia said.

Ruby thinks her daughter's condition was because she slipped while she was pregnant with Mesing. However, according to Dr. Hector Santos, a plastic surgeon, this is not the case.

"It's a congenital deformity sa habang nasa sinapupunan. Kadalasan niyan, there's a 10-15%—is genetics. And then multifactorial—'yung nutrisyon ng nanay o kaya malakas uminom ng alak o sigarilyo."

Mesing appealed to those with a kind heart to help her.

"Tulungan n'yo po ako na mapa-operahan," she said.

For those who are interested to help, the GMA Kapuso Foundation is accepting donations through bank deposits, Cebuana Lhuillier, GCash, Shopee, PayMaya, Zalora, MegaMart, Globe Rewards, Metrobank credit card, and Lazada.

For more information, visit the GMA Kapuso Foundation website.

—Kimberly Tsao/MGP, GMA Integrated News