David’s Cleft Journey in His Mother’s Words
Magaly is the mother of David, age five, a Smile Train patient in Quito, Ecuador. She shared with us her son’s journey to cleft care and what Smile Train has meant for her entire family.
A Walk to Freedom
Nkunda had to hide in the bushes on his journey to school every day. Something needed to be done.
Saksham: Hope Is Always Alive
A boy from India is starving and his parents don't know what to do.
A Father In Disbelief
When Habeeba was born, the doctor gasped and told her mother, Ahlam, he’d never seen a baby like her before.
Nourishing Saraswati
Saraswati's parents tried everything to feed their baby, but no matter what they tried, the milk still spilled out her cleft. She constantly screamed with hunger, and they didn't know how she'd make it. Then a friend told them about Smile Train.
One Family Needs Three Smiles
Kamlesh learned to live with his cleft. His three children could not.
A Father’s Legacy of Smiles
How one man built a legacy of smiles that will last for generations — on both sides of the operating table.
Treating the Whole Child in Ecuador
Meet the brother-sister duo transforming cleft care in the mountains of Ecuador.
A Deafening Silence For Initissar
“We would sell everything we owned to get Rawda’s lip treated as soon as possible — nothing is going to stop us.”
Cristina Solano: Speaking from the Heart
When Cristina learned her son would have a cleft, she sought comfort and support, but found none, even from the local community. Until she met Dr. Dávalos. In the 10 years since, they've changed what it means to have a cleft in Ecuador, together.
Fernanda: The Jolly Rancher
Wendy was 17, single, and scared. She had just had a baby with a cleft, and any help seemed far, far away from her family's ranch in the remote Andes highlands. But Smile Train was there.