One of the most frequent questions we receive from parents is how long it takes to get treatment for their child at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We would love to be able to provide an accurate and simple answer to this question, but the truth is that there are so many factors involved that it varies greatly from case to case. We will share our process with you from application to treatment so that you can have an idea of what your timeline may be.
One of the most frequent questions we receive from parents is how long it takes to get treatment for their child at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We would love to be able to provide an accurate and simple answer to this question, but the truth is that there are so many factors involved that it varies greatly from case to case. We will share our process with you from application to treatment so that you can have an idea of what your timeline may be.
Firstly, a child’s application can take 2-12 weeks to be processed. We receive an overwhelming number of applications, so we sort through them carefully to find the ones that fall into our criteria and those that are most urgent. As a reminder, we only treat children of indigent families who medically require treatment. In other words, their birth defect directly impacts their physical health, impairing their ability to see, hear, breathe, eat, drink, sleep, talk, etc.
Once an application is accepted, the next step is often to obtain a passport, as well as a visa or ESTA (visa waiver program) if they are coming from out of the country. As we’ve mentioned before in our surgery stories, this is no small feat for some of the families coming in for treatment. Many of them are far from a consulate and unaccustomed to navigating these administrative tasks. For many, there is also a language barrier. It can easily take families 6 months to gather the necessary documents to travel to NYC.
When we finally get to welcome them to the Little Baby Face Foundation in person, our expert physicians perform any necessary examinations and establish a treatment plan along with the parent(s) or caregiver(s). Some come in as babies or toddlers, and they may need to wait years before treatment because they’re too small in size. A good example of this is an ear reconstruction surgery, like Achilles, where we need to remove rib cartilage to create an ear. Achilles is only 8 and still needs to grow, otherwise removing the rib cartilage will leave his vital organs dangerously unprotected.
On the other hand, some cases need to be treated urgently. One such case was Analeigha, who came to us at 6 months old with a hemangioma on her eye that threatened permanent vision loss. Colby also needed urgent surgery for a hemangioma on his eye.
So, the short answer is that it can take anywhere from months to years depending on your child’s condition to get treatment. Just know that once your child’s application is accepted, we stay in close contact, even outside of treatment periods. It really is like an extended family at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We love getting to see these children grow and thrive!
Once an application is accepted, the next step is often to obtain a passport, as well as a visa or ESTA (visa waiver program) if they are coming from out of the country. As we’ve mentioned before in our surgery stories, this is no small feat for some of the families coming in for treatment. Many of them are far from a consulate and unaccustomed to navigating these administrative tasks. For many, there is also a language barrier. It can easily take families 6 months to gather the necessary documents to travel to NYC.
When we finally get to welcome them to the Little Baby Face Foundation in person, our expert physicians perform any necessary examinations and establish a treatment plan along with the parent(s) or caregiver(s). Some come in as babies or toddlers, and they may need to wait years before treatment because they’re too small in size. A good example of this is an ear reconstruction surgery, like Achilles, where we need to remove rib cartilage to create an ear. Achilles is only 8 and still needs to grow, otherwise removing the rib cartilage will leave his vital organs dangerously unprotected.
On the other hand, some cases need to be treated urgently. One such case was Analeigha, who came to us at 6 months old with a hemangioma on her eye that threatened permanent vision loss. Colby also needed urgent surgery for a hemangioma on his eye.
So, the short answer is that it can take anywhere from months to years depending on your child’s condition to get treatment. Just know that once your child’s application is accepted, we stay in close contact, even outside of treatment periods. It really is like an extended family at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We love getting to see these children grow and thrive!
Firstly, a child’s application can take 2-12 weeks to be processed. We receive an overwhelming number of applications, so we sort through them carefully to find the ones that fall into our criteria and those that are most urgent. As a reminder, we only treat children of indigent families who medically require treatment. In other words, their birth defect directly impacts their physical health, impairing their ability to see, hear, breathe, eat, drink, sleep, talk, etc.
Once an application is accepted, the next step is often to obtain a passport, as well as a visa or ESTA (visa waiver program) if they are coming from out of the country. As we’ve mentioned before in our surgery stories, this is no small feat for some of the families coming in for treatment. Many of them are far from a consulate and unaccustomed to navigating these administrative tasks. For many, there is also a language barrier. It can easily take families 6 months to gather the necessary documents to travel to NYC.
When we finally get to welcome them to the Little Baby Face Foundation in person, our expert physicians perform any necessary examinations and establish a treatment plan along with the parent(s) or caregiver(s). Some come in as babies or toddlers, and they may need to wait years before treatment because they’re too small in size. A good example of this is an ear reconstruction surgery, like Achilles, where we need to remove rib cartilage to create an ear. Achilles is only 8 and still needs to grow, otherwise removing the rib cartilage will leave his vital organs dangerously unprotected.
On the other hand, some cases need to be treated urgently. One such case was Analeigha, who came to us at 6 months old with a hemangioma on her eye that threatened permanent vision loss. Colby also needed urgent surgery for a hemangioma on his eye.
So, the short answer is that it can take anywhere from months to years depending on your child’s condition to get treatment. Just know that once your child’s application is accepted, we stay in close contact, even outside of treatment periods. It really is like an extended family at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We love getting to see these children grow and thrive!
Once an application is accepted, the next step is often to obtain a passport, as well as a visa or ESTA (visa waiver program) if they are coming from out of the country. As we’ve mentioned before in our surgery stories, this is no small feat for some of the families coming in for treatment. Many of them are far from a consulate and unaccustomed to navigating these administrative tasks. For many, there is also a language barrier. It can easily take families 6 months to gather the necessary documents to travel to NYC.
When we finally get to welcome them to the Little Baby Face Foundation in person, our expert physicians perform any necessary examinations and establish a treatment plan along with the parent(s) or caregiver(s). Some come in as babies or toddlers, and they may need to wait years before treatment because they’re too small in size. A good example of this is an ear reconstruction surgery, like Achilles, where we need to remove rib cartilage to create an ear. Achilles is only 8 and still needs to grow, otherwise removing the rib cartilage will leave his vital organs dangerously unprotected.
On the other hand, some cases need to be treated urgently. One such case was Analeigha, who came to us at 6 months old with a hemangioma on her eye that threatened permanent vision loss. Colby also needed urgent surgery for a hemangioma on his eye.
So, the short answer is that it can take anywhere from months to years depending on your child’s condition to get treatment. Just know that once your child’s application is accepted, we stay in close contact, even outside of treatment periods. It really is like an extended family at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We love getting to see these children grow and thrive!
Firstly, a child’s application can take 2-12 weeks to be processed. We receive an overwhelming number of applications, so we sort through them carefully to find the ones that fall into our criteria and those that are most urgent. As a reminder, we only treat children of indigent families who medically require treatment. In other words, their birth defect directly impacts their physical health, impairing their ability to see, hear, breathe, eat, drink, sleep, talk, etc.
Once an application is accepted, the next step is often to obtain a passport, as well as a visa or ESTA (visa waiver program) if they are coming from out of the country. As we’ve mentioned before in our surgery stories, this is no small feat for some of the families coming in for treatment. Many of them are far from a consulate and unaccustomed to navigating these administrative tasks. For many, there is also a language barrier. It can easily take families 6 months to gather the necessary documents to travel to NYC.
When we finally get to welcome them to the Little Baby Face Foundation in person, our expert physicians perform any necessary examinations and establish a treatment plan along with the parent(s) or caregiver(s). Some come in as babies or toddlers, and they may need to wait years before treatment because they’re too small in size. A good example of this is an ear reconstruction surgery, like Achilles, where we need to remove rib cartilage to create an ear. Achilles is only 8 and still needs to grow, otherwise removing the rib cartilage will leave his vital organs dangerously unprotected.
On the other hand, some cases need to be treated urgently. One such case was Analeigha, who came to us at 6 months old with a hemangioma on her eye that threatened permanent vision loss. Colby also needed urgent surgery for a hemangioma on his eye.
So, the short answer is that it can take anywhere from months to years depending on your child’s condition to get treatment. Just know that once your child’s application is accepted, we stay in close contact, even outside of treatment periods. It really is like an extended family at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We love getting to see these children grow and thrive!
Once an application is accepted, the next step is often to obtain a passport, as well as a visa or ESTA (visa waiver program) if they are coming from out of the country. As we’ve mentioned before in our surgery stories, this is no small feat for some of the families coming in for treatment. Many of them are far from a consulate and unaccustomed to navigating these administrative tasks. For many, there is also a language barrier. It can easily take families 6 months to gather the necessary documents to travel to NYC.
When we finally get to welcome them to the Little Baby Face Foundation in person, our expert physicians perform any necessary examinations and establish a treatment plan along with the parent(s) or caregiver(s). Some come in as babies or toddlers, and they may need to wait years before treatment because they’re too small in size. A good example of this is an ear reconstruction surgery, like Achilles, where we need to remove rib cartilage to create an ear. Achilles is only 8 and still needs to grow, otherwise removing the rib cartilage will leave his vital organs dangerously unprotected.
On the other hand, some cases need to be treated urgently. One such case was Analeigha, who came to us at 6 months old with a hemangioma on her eye that threatened permanent vision loss. Colby also needed urgent surgery for a hemangioma on his eye.
So, the short answer is that it can take anywhere from months to years depending on your child’s condition to get treatment. Just know that once your child’s application is accepted, we stay in close contact, even outside of treatment periods. It really is like an extended family at the Little Baby Face Foundation. We love getting to see these children grow and thrive!
If your child was born with a debilitating facial deformity and you’re looking for help, please contact us using the form below.
If your child was born with a debilitating facial deformity and you’re looking for help, please contact us using the form below.