Especially Blessed

Moments after Stephen Decker’s birth, Dr. Ernest Cronin was called to the maternity ward at St. Joseph Hospital, where he diagnosed Stephen with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Seven surgeries and 17 years later, Stephen’s smile is evidence that he requires no more significant procedures.

A model high school senior at Alief Taylor, Stephen enjoys movies with friends, video games and pitching for his school’s baseball team. He even boasts a stellar academic record and aspirations of an athletic scholarship. Today most would never recognize that Stephen was born with a facial anomaly. Feeling especially blessed by their relationship with the men and women of the Cronin & Brauer Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic, Stephen and his family regularly donate their time as volunteers for Operation San José.