Three Moms Passing Knowledge and Comfort On

Meet the three moms changing what it means to have a child with a cleft in Chiapas.

When Yuri Falcon learned her son would be born with a cleft, she felt alone. Questions like “How will I feed my child?” and “Is there a surgery available?” haunted her and she didn’t know where to find answers.

She heard a cleft specialist, Smile Train partner Dr. Juan Cuellar, was coming to the nearby Hospital de Especialidades Pediátricas in Chiapas, Mexico, and made an appointment to see him. While there, she noticed other moms asking the same questions, and she no longer felt so alone. She spoke with two of them, Caro Sesma and Dinorah Melchor, and, together, they decided to start a WhatsApp group for moms of kids with clefts in Chiapas. Other moms flocked to it, likewise relieved and grateful to discover they weren’t alone. In 2019, the group expanded to host in-person get-togethers and trainings for dozens of local families.

This Mother’s Day, we salute these and all heroic moms making a difference for children with clefts all over the world.