Patient Stories

At the age of one, Lily had the first of five surgeries to insert tubes in her ears to drain them. At the age of six, she had major surgery to repair the deteriorating bones in her ears and remove scar tissue, clearing up years of nonstop infections. Lily was finally able to wear her hearing aids consistently. Rodney Diaz, M.D., performed all of these surgeries, and as a result, her hearing dramatically improved.

At the suggestion of her pediatrician, Michael Lucien, M.D., and audiologist, Audrey Bracchi, Au.D., Lily began taking dance lessons at the age of three. The social interaction was good for her lagging language development, and the exercise was good for her kidneys. Ever since she’d seen her first movie, Frozen, Lily had been “singing and dancing her heart out,” says Asha. Now with better hearing and much more confidence, she decided to try competitive dance.

Today, 10-year-old Lily dances five days a week. She recently joined a hip-hop dance troupe in Los Angeles, so she dances a lot of weekends there as well. In late 2021, she performed in the video for an anti-bullying song by the group AyeCMRascals.

Born with a cleft lip and palate, Jenna’s relied on the expertise of our Cleft & Craniofacial Reconstruction team. Because of her care experiences, she’s become an advocate for craniofacial patients around the world. 

Shortly after her adoption at age three, her parents met with the Cleft and Craniofacial Reconstruction team at UC Davis Medical Center. They began the journey of correcting her palate along with other congenital conditions. Some of Jenna's conditions were hearing impairment, speech-language difficulties, and dental problems. She underwent countless operations to correct these conditions. Jenna stated: "Each of these surgical procedures played a role in who I am today because they improved my quality of life". 

Jenna's personal experience inspired her to do a fundraiser that would spread awareness and raise money for children with similar birth conditions. On January 1, 2023, she hosted a color run/walk and raised over $1,500 for the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. Jenna wants to continue advocating for craniofacial patients around the world because of the inspiration she gained from the UC Davis Health cleft team.