Dr. h. c. Erika Sailer

„HELP FOR SELF-HELP. THAT’S ALWAYS OUR
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.”

Erika Sailer was born in Germany and completed medical training as qualified physiotherapist. She founded and then managed one of the first rehabilitation centers in Hannover for more than 25 years. It was in Switzerland that she met her later husband Prof. Dr. Sailer. 

Since Erika was quiet familiar with India and the large number of cleft children there, she motivated Hermann to travel the country and help these deformed children by operating. And her husband not only set out to perform multiple surgeries, but also started to train doctors and surgeons to use the special techniques required to spread the good work.

In 2002 the couple had the chance to present their initiative in India on a health program on swiss TV. Overwhelmed by the positive feedback and the inrush of donations, they resolved to set up the Cleft Children Foundation and have never looked back since. Despite great difficulties Erika managed to get the first two children, Ranga und Carla, to Switzerland to undergo surgery there. Today Ranga is a massage therapist in the surgery center in Bangalore.

Erika’s first impulse to help children has improved the lives of literally thousands of them. More than 128,000 cleft children have been treated and 468 surgeons have since been trained and are practicing in Cleft Centers around the world.

Erika founded the Cleft-School project to make certain the young foster children have a place to stay, regular meals, a roof over their heads – and get an education. A lot of the deformed children are subjected to abuse or hidden away because their families perceive them as a disgrace. The school thus provides a home and cares for about 60 boys and 30 girls.

Photo: Sailer clinic