Jordanian teen’s book aims to begin new chapter for children with cleft lip, palate

AMMAN — A Jordanian teenager has created sustainable ways to improve cleft care in the Kingdom with her book titled “A Medical Brush”.

“The thing I aimed to create was one that changes people’s lives. I wanted to be a part in transforming the lives of children born with a cleft lip and palate,” 17-year old Dana Azzouka, who compiled the creation of “A Medical Brush”, told The Jordan Times on Monday.

“A Medical Brush” is an anatomical literary book that consists of 18 poems written by 13 high school students who celebrated the human anatomy through poetry.

The book aims to show how medicine can embrace other fields, to create a culture where everyone’s feelings are valued, and most importantly to change the lives of children with a cleft lip and palate, she said.

Inspired by a leadership conference by Operation Smile that she virtually attended in 2021, Azzouka came up with the book’s idea and gathered 12 students at her school who have a passion for art, literature, science and volunteering. After the book was sold, all proceeds were donated to Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service organisation, to pay for the surgery of children with a cleft lip and palate.

“After attending the conference, I was inspired to find a way to support children with cleft palates, through embracing the writers’ emotional concerns which, through writing, heal the physical concerns of children with a cleft lip and palate,” she noted.

The book aims to offer young people opportunities to become enthusiastic about art, literature and science, and encourage them to explore their creations, as well as to take part in meaningful social actions, she added.

“The words of the book are not just letters put together on a paper, they have striking meanings that were created in the minds of young individuals,” Azzouka’s mother Lana Maaitah told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Azzouka is currently applying to study medicine abroad and plans to start a student-led Operation Smile club at her school.