CHEO's cleft lip clinic setting 'Feisty Florence' up for success

If you ask Florence Sexton's parents, she's a one-year-old who lives up to her "Feisty Florence" nickname.

"She's definitely feisty and she tells you what she's thinking," said dad Mike Sexton. "But that's great. I think that's going to set her up well in life."

Florence was born with a cleft lip — there was a split in her upper lip and a gap up to her nose. It was discovered during the 20-week ultrasound.

Florence Sexton was born with a cleft lip and required specialized care. (CHEO)

"A bit of a shock because we didn't expect that, and a bit of fear as well, too, because we didn't really know what that meant," said mom Jenn Threader.

About 700 families are part of CHEO's cleft lip and palate clinic.

"And that's where I come in to kind of help navigate families there and help their understanding of that and just help them navigate again, the multiple services we have available here at CHEO," said the clinic's nurse coordinator Janine Wheeler. "We're the only cleft multidisciplinary-like care approach, which is unique to CHEO."

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Patients are monitored by CHEO long-term. Their care involves everyone from dentists and plastic surgeons to speech language pathologists.

Surgery is required to fix a cleft lip and palate. In preparation, surgical tape is placed on a patient's lip across the cleft.

"It brings the lip segments closer and closer together a few millimeters together each week, until they're so close together that the lips are touching. And then the surgeon just has to sew the lips together," explains Dr. Sharleen Tan, an orthodontist at CHEO.

Florence Sexton underwent surgery at CHEO to repair a cleft lip. (CHEO)

A "nasal elevator" was also placed in Florence's nostril — a small hook that's connected to a tether strip attached to her forehead to lift up the nostril that is flat.

"She definitely was not a fan of that," said Mike Sexton.

On surgery day, Threader said she knew Florence was in great hands.

"It's very scary. So giving [your kids] to people where you kind of feel this immediate trust towards that. They're going to love and care for your child… [that] made the process so much easier," she said.

The family's connection to CHEO run deep. Years ago, Threader and Sexton were CHEO kids too. They say they understand how vital the hospital and those who work there are.

"They're just so happy to see you and your kids," said Sexton. "You can really tell they love the kids and they're there to help. So it's really, it's really amazing, inspiring."

"CHEO provides the best but we also need to help support them in providing the best, giving them access to the best," Threader said.

Lactation consultants and orthodontic appliances are among the services funded by donor dollars.

As Florence grows, she'll be monitored closely by CHEO.

Florence Sexton is thriving months after surgery to fix a cleft lip. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

"Flo will be seen around the age of six or seven to see if all of her teeth are developing well and to see if she needs to have some expansion done in her palate and to see if she needs to have braces," said Dr. Tan.

For now, Florence's family is focused on the future and going with the "Flo."

"I just hope she spreads her wings you know and just travels and you know lives the life that she wants to live. That's what I hope best for her." 

The 41st CHEO Telethon continues all week on CTV News Ottawa, CTV Morning Live and Newstalk 580 CFRA, with the grand finale on CTV Ottawa Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

You can make a donation to the CHEO donation online at www.cheotelethon.com or by calling 613-730-CHEO (2436).