![Luke in formal attire](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/luke-zappia-bowtie.jpg?itok=TKzM-eia)
Luke Zappia Wants Children With Clefts to be Superheroes
He doesn't have a cleft, but Smile Train has always been like a part of his family.
![Emily Smile Train YLC member](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/emily-wears-penn-shirt.jpg?itok=Wt4E7Ks4)
Emily Jiang Makes a Difference, No Matter the Distance
How one conversation — and one good idea — can make a huge difference.
![Maria before her cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-01/maria-before-surgery-super.jpg?itok=cIdu5sXn)
It’s Never Too Late to Dream
Maria has been waiting for cleft surgery since 1953. When the opportunity came, her son wanted her to pass.
![Julia holds up Smile Train banner](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/julia-holds-smile-train-sign.jpg?itok=Fwh2eRvl)
Julia Hahn Knows the Power of a Smile
"I know Smile Train really is changing the world one smile at a time because one of those smiles is mine."
![Manny Ventura Smile Train supporter](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/manny-ventura-smile-train-supporter.jpg?itok=2_TheN41)
Manny Ventura: “What’s Your Battle Scar?”
"Being born “different” is exactly why you should achieve big goals and be full of confidence."
![Christine Smessaert in front of graffiti](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/christine-smessaert-graffiti.jpg?itok=O9IjVYa2)
Christine Smessaert: A Smile is a Connection
![Grace Peters Smile Train staff](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/grace-peters.jpg?itok=_sNoVSgK)
Grace Peters: Born With a Purpose
How Smile Train helped Grace go from a girl looking for answers to global cleft hero.
![Mark Lent with medal from Chicago Marathon](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/mark-lent-chicago.jpg?itok=1Di-avsV)
Mark Goes the Extra Smile
When he turned 30, Mark knew he had to turn his life around and get fit. Thanks to Team EMPOWER, his good decision is also changing the lives of children in need around the world.
![Ayubu before cleft lip surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/ayubu-before-cleft-lip-surgery.jpg?itok=9wYWba9j)
A Smile That Brightens And Enlightens
Ayubu's classmates harassed him relentlessly for years because of a local myth about clefts. When he was 10 years old, his mother heard there was hope at a hospital less than an hour away.
![Bhavana Smile Train YLC member](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/bhavana-smiles.jpg?itok=SgknpyWG)
Bhavana Venkataram: The Importance of Comprehensive Cleft Care
It wasn’t until my trip to Mexico that I realized the impact Smile Train has — it was unbelievable.
![Evelyn poses with speech patient Anthony](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/evelyn-with-speech-patient.jpg?itok=Jz8tmQbR)
Helping Patients with Clefts Find Their Voice
For Evelyn Caserres-Nano, speech therapy is more than a job — it is a calling.