Ruth’s Story: Healing Cleft Lip Through CAMO

For over four and a half years, CAMO has walked alongside Ruth Nohemí Peña Cáceres, supporting her from her first days of life. Ruth was born with cleft lip and cleft palate—a condition that shaped her beginning but never defined her future.

Ruth is the youngest of five children and the greatest treasure of her mother, Denia Suyapa Cáceres. With emotion in her voice, Denia recalls the day she first arrived at CAMO, carrying her three-day-old baby. She had just left the Hospital de Occidente and held a single hope: to find help that could secure her daughter’s future.

From that moment, Ruth and her mother never faced the journey alone. CAMO enrolled Ruth in its nutrition program to strengthen her body. Months later, her life changed when she received her first cleft lip surgery. This surgery was performed by an international CAMO medical brigade, led by volunteer plastic surgeons from the United States.

Two years later, another CAMO brigade performed her second reconstructive surgery, bringing Ruth closer to a full recovery. Today, at four years old, she eagerly awaits a third surgery to correct her gums and continue improving her smile and quality of life.

A Family Supported

Denia affirms that her daughter has never walked alone. CAMO’s consistent support has been a firm foundation. She trusts that the upcoming February brigade will provide the surgery Ruth still needs.

Thanks to this care, Ruth now speaks more clearly, eats with ease, and smiles with confidence. A bright future awaits her.

Ruth’s family lives in Nueva Vista, San José, Copán, facing serious economic hardship. Denia, a stay-at-home mother, works daily to support her youngest child. She clings to the hope that CAMO gave her the day they opened their doors—proving that healing is possible, and hope can grow.

Stories like Ruth’s are possible because of donors and volunteers like you. By supporting CAMO, you provide life-changing surgeries, medical care, and hope to children in Honduras.

Join us in transforming lives—one smile at a time: https://www.camo.org/donate