Cleft lip baby returns to Romania

Christina Cocor is all smiles about going home

A Romanian baby flies home on Sunday after coming to the East Midlands for life-changing surgery.

One-year-old Christina Cocor was born with a cleft lip and palate but after thousands of people donated money towards her hospital treatment surgeons in Nottingham reshaped her lips and mouth.

Now nearly four weeks on she has been given the all clear to go home to a new life in Romania.

Her parents said she has now developed a liking for chocolate after being able to eat by herself for the first time.

Happy eating

Christina arrived in Nottingham last month.

Like one in three hundred babies she was born with a cleft lip and palate.

But surgeons at Nottingham City Hospital have reshaped her mouth.

Her mother, Gabi, said her daughter has rapidly developed a sweet tooth.

Christina before the operation

"She's a child with a new mouth but she's Christina, she's our baby Christina," she said.

"She can now play with other children and she can eat with a spoon - she delights in eating with a spoon especially chocolate."

The Romanian family have been staying in the Nottingham home of Phyllis and Peter Sturgeon, who worked alongside the baby's mother as voluntary carers in a Romanian hospice.

In her home country Christina would have had to wait months for surgery but the couple brought her plight to the attention of people in the East Midlands.

Total transformation

They launched an appeal which has paid for her medical treatment and travel to the East Midlands, although doctors at the hospital gave their time free of charge.

Mrs Sturgeon said the surgery has transformed the little girl.

Mother and child are looking forward to home

"Within 36 hours there was a little girl, she looked very different," she said.

"It looked as if she just had a mild cold sore.

"The team at City Hospital are quite amazing," she said.

The one remaining problem for the Cocors was packing.

They arrived with only two suitcases but with so many presents from well-wishers they have had to take six back with them.