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… her parents. Finally, when Angel was five months old, a doctor referred them to Marikina St. Vincent General Hospital, a Smile Train partner. They took her in right away. A thorough examination confirmed what Joy and Jonathan had feared: … upon seeing her baby’s face. This time, tears of happiness. Angel after cleft palate surgery Angel received her second Smile Train-sponsored cleft surgery one year later, to heal her cleft palate. Now, she could smile and eat like every other child — but that could not be the end of her cleft journey. Angel holding a picture of …
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… Con Houston Strength in Community: Cleft Con Houston "A space unlike any other" “A space unlike any other.” That is how Smile Train President and CEO Susannah Schaefer kicked-off the third-annual in-person Cleft Con — the one day a year … for a full day of panels and breakout sessions. One highlight was the “Fireside Chat” between moderator Iva Ballou , Smile Train’s Manager of Community Development, and Tucson-based TV weather forecaster Allie Potter. Though no stranger … three or four years old,” she said, explaining why she decided to tell her story. In an uplifting conversation full of smiles, honesty, and a few heartfelt tears, Allie recounted being bullied at school because of her cleft, discovering her …
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… really thought a real war would be possible. As soon as first explosions erupted, our hospital routine stopped and we switched to providing care to those wounded – both children and adults. For the first month of the war, since it was … Concentrating on the work at hand has allowed us not to panic and retain our sanity. For example, our speech pathologist switched to providing therapy online, and we held webinars for parents – all while continuing surgery for the patients …
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… Adriana Zavalaga: It Starts with Nutrition Adriana Zavalaga: It Starts with Nutrition Adriana is bringing nutrition education to cleft-affected families across Peru. *The images used in this story were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten years ago, Adriana Zavalaga was working as a nutrition counselor in a renowned private practice in Peru — primarily working with clients who were …
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… and redoubled. But still Dalia and Abd AlRahman kept faith. Someday, Mohamed and his brother, Abdulrahman, would each smile and shine. Abdulrahman A Head Start After the ultrasound told Magda her daughter was going to have a cleft, she … face with confidence. When Magda met Dr. Mohamed Magdy, the cleft program project director at Innovinity Medical Hub, a Smile Train partner in Cairo, a few weeks later, she knew her prayers had been answered. Dr. Mohamed Magdy at Innovinity … late 2021, Azza is now free of tooth decay and will wear braces for as long as she needs. And, because Innovinity is a Smile Train partner, all of this care is 100% free. Still, one of Azza’s favorite parts of Innovinity is the …
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… I was truly happy. I decided I didn’t want the braces. Despite all of his struggles, Dillon has always found a reason to smile Hitting a Roadblock At 24, I wanted something a little more financially stable than bartending, so I decided to … still be out there on the internet. Everyone has something to prove. Although it took some time, now Dillon wears his smile with confidence I met Christina Larrow, a member of the CCAC who has a daughter with a cleft, over TikTok. She told me about Smile Train, and I joined the CCAC in January. It’s opened my eyes to all the ways people can support Smile Train besides …
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… at once. And she is also a proud member of Smile Train’s Cleft Community Advisory Council (CCAC) . She shares her extraordinary journey with us below. Linda, age two My cleft came as a shock to my parents. Then my brother, John, was born with a cleft when I was two-and-a-half, and that was an even bigger surprise because his was even more … they went WHOOSH, out the car window.” He said, “Why did you do that?” I said because I didn't want to hear a [darn] word anybody said and I wanted to have a nice day. I think my [behind] still hurts from that one. Guilty as charged …
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… Frequent Smiler Become a Frequent Smiler Being a Frequent Smiler is an easy and economical way to help children born with clefts each month while maintaining your budget. Just a few dollars a month can save children's lives. Select a monthly amount that's affordable for you and your family, and Smile Train will automatically bill your credit card or deduct it from your checking account each month. You’ll never …
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… her question. He couldn’t even breathe. Thankfully, the doctor knew what to say, and recommended them to Clinica Noel, Smile Train’s partner in Medellín and the hospital that he assured them was “the best in Colombia.” Though Valery was not … around the time she turned one. And because children with clefts usually struggle to speak even after surgery, she began Smile Train-sponsored speech therapy from specially trained experts almost as soon as she began to talk. Down and Out … able to form that support system.” Speechless Again Now 13, Valery walks the halls of her school with confidence and a smile, and why shouldn’t she? Everyone at school knows about her cleft and supports and encourages her through her …
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… to Tell You A patient’s mother speaks from the hospital. Rosemary, from a small village in Zimbabwe, is the mother of Smile Train patient Nyasha. We caught up with her just after her six-month-old son came out of the operating room. Though … bring Nyasha to his hospital when he weighed 11 pounds and he would heal him for free thanks to an organization called Smile Train. Rosemary kisses Nyasha before his cleft surgery. I couldn’t believe it. This news was both wonderful and … farm; there are 10 of us total. We have one goat for milk, and we barely scrape by growing cotton and corn. Without Smile Train, I don’t know how we could have ever raised enough money to give Nyasha the treatment he needed to heal his …
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… and a nurse there said she had heard about an organization that could provide free treatment for him. She Googled local Smile Train partners and directed us to Grandville Medical and Laser Centre. Olanike speaking with Dr. Aranmolate Rasheed … as well help people the way he was helped. As I said, it is a sacred duty. I also want to say a very big thank you to Smile Train’s donors. I don't know them, but God knows them. I pray God will continue to bless them, favor them, and show …
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… making the most of their time at the conference and shared best practices for using the customized Cleft Con software. Smile Train President and CEO Susannah Schaefer then gave an official welcome and introduced the keynote speaker. Kenny … for an engaging mini-session exploring advocacy within the cleft community. We will highlight key advocacy initiatives Smile Train is working on and explore ways we can further support cleft-affected individuals. Your input and insights are … to spreading awareness, each panelist will open up about how they turned their unique experiences and passions into more smiles for children in need around the world. Join us for stories of resilience and insights into how you, too, can use …