By Bernadette Tan
January 19, 2026
Jasper was born with a cleft lip and palate, and from the very beginning, his parents faced an uphill battle.
Rhea spent countless nights awake, wondering what kind of future awaited her son. Her husband worked as a construction worker earning minimum wage, they knew they could never afford the surgeries Jasper needed. In those early days, they questioned God—and themselves—trying to understand why this hardship had fallen on their little boy.
“I already knew my baby had a cleft lip. But when I finally gave birth, a part of me hoped it wasn’t true—and then it was. I couldn’t sleep for weeks. I kept thinking, why did this happen to me, what did I do wrong in God’s eyes?” Rhea recalls.
But they refused to give up. They searched tirelessly for free medical programs, clinging to the hope that someone, somewhere, could help their son.
About the Author
Bernadette Tan
Deputy Director of Communications
Bernadette is a communications graduate who has spent the past 20 years serving in various international non-profits. She is a passionate storyteller and an eternal optimist.
Bernadette loves spending time in disadvantaged communities, listening to families, and giving them a voice through her writing.
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