Cleft lip baby cant drink milk properly

Babies born with birth defects like acleft lip or cleft palate have a hard time drinking milk. My good friend's neighbor is having a very difficult time trying to get her newborn to drink milk properly. She cant even breastfeed her properly and has to pump her breastmilk out and feed her with a spoon. According to my friend, the baby cries almost non-stop unless she's asleep. Hope she can go for her surgery soon.