“Miracle Baby.” That has been Elena’s nickname for 19 years, since her mother Laura was pregnant with her. A pregnancy rife with early complications resulted in weekly ultrasounds to monitor Elena’s growth and development and it was during one of those scans that Laura and Elena’s father were informed that their daughter appeared to have both a cleft lip and palate.
As they grappled with the ramifications of such a diagnosis, they received another crushing one. Cancer. Laura received some biopsy results only a few weeks before Elena’s due date and discovered that she had an aggressive form of cancer in her tongue, and neck. Two days later, Elena made an early and unexpected arrival.
“What an answer to prayer,” Laura reflects. “We thought we’d lost her during the pregnancy. Then she came early, right after my diagnosis so I could start treatment right away.” Laura had a PET scan the week of Elena’s birth and had surgery on her tongue and neck within two weeks. She began chemotherapy and radiation shortly after.
Elena needed special bottles due to her cleft lip and palate, and though feeding was initially a challenge, her medical team at Hershey was eventually satisfied that she was feeding well enough come home. Laura then took Elena to Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic where she became a patient of Dr. Mackay. “We loved Dr. Mackay,” Laura shares.
Elena had a midline facial cleft and an open palate. Dr. Mackay wanted her to gain more weight before her first surgery. That first surgery was performed when Elena was six months old and it began the long journey of closing off her palate. Dr. Mackay called Elena his special girl and said she had “the mother of all clefts,” as she required several surgeries to build up and seal her palate, which was completely open at birth. The cleft in her lip was closed when she was 9 months old.
From the beginning, Elena proved her courage and tenacity. She was seen and treated by numerous specialists 
at the Clinic. She has had braces, jaw surgery, and now just wears retainers. She will have one last surgery with Dr. Henry.
Elena, who was homeschooled until eighth grade, graduated high school in 2023 and the once Miracle Baby has become a Miracle Woman, whose tender heart and servant hands tended to her elderly grandparents while they lived with her and Laura. Laura’s father suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on his left side and Elena helped care for him.
“She had a heart for her grandparents,” Laura says fondly of her daughter. “She’s sweet and thoughtful. I wish she would realize how awesome she is!”
Soon, Elena be taking on a new role as her mother’s temporary caretaker. Laura’s cancer treatments saved her life but damaged her jawbone and her bottom teeth, and she will be undergoing an extensive surgery to replace that bone. Elena will be on hand to help her recover, just as Laura has supported and cared for Elena throughout many surgeries as well.
Elena, who enjoys painting, puzzles, and playing with her cat, shares that she also “just likes helping others,” a sentiment most likely born from her own beautiful journey of growth and overcoming adversity, a journey that began at the Clinic.
“The staff have always been wonderful,” says Laura. “We loved Dr. Mackay and have loved Dr. Henry.”
“I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t had the connection to the Clinic,” Laura continues. “The Clinic was a constant in our crazy world and going there provided peace of mind and a sense of security. I knew that Elena was getting all the help that she needed.”
