![Mrighna with her mother after free Smile Train cleft surgery in Nepal](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-07/mrighna-with-mother-after-free-smile-train-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-nepal.jpg?itok=eJUmQDrP)
A Mother Learns to Trust
How Smile Train Helped Aaron Smile Even Before He Was Born
Our model of empowering local cleft teams makes all the difference for families like Aaron's.
![Annointed with his mother, Favour, after his cleft surgery.](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-05/annointed-with-mother-after-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-nigeria.jpg?itok=uWuEc449)
Annointed for Greatness
The story of a cleft mother’s bravery, in her own words.
![Sesnie hugging a boy after cleft lip and cleft palate surgery in Ethiopia](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-04/sesnie-hugging-cleft-lip-cleft-palate-patient-ethiopia.jpg?itok=UGvLse46)
"I Am Resilient!" Meet Smile Train's Program Manager for East Africa
A conversation with one of our heroes.
![Adahara, on horseback, smiling in the Mexican sun after cleft treatment.](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-03/adahara-on-horse-in-mexico-smiling-after-cleft-lip-cleft-palate-surgery.jpg?itok=VFM0TYWw)
The Smile That Will Spark Hundreds More
Adahara knew she was lucky to receive all the cleft treatment she needed from an early age. She's training to become a Smile Train partner because she knows not every child with a cleft is so lucky.
Milagros Finishes Strong
How Smile Train helped a girl who nearly didn't survive infancy grow to become queen of the rink.
![David's mom holds an image her son before cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/david-holds-before.jpg?itok=BWHeD1_B)
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.
![Mirian sits in a dress with untreated cleft lip](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/mirian-sits-in-dress.jpg?itok=EsVtwYsk)
A Warrior at Heart
At one month old, Mirian weighed just four pounds. Five months later, with the support of our local partners, she had transformed into a happy, chubby baby.
![Mia wears a superhero costume](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-01/mia-is-a-superhero-super.jpg?itok=5i2KiFdY)
Mia: The Hero We Need
It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's Smile Train patient Mia from Argentina.
![Celeste in Smile Train scrubs](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/nurse-celeste-in-scubs.jpg?itok=mrJTGdMl)
A Nurse's Commitment
Nurse Celeste always tried to avoid working with the babies with clefts in her neonatal ward because she felt unable to meet their needs. Then her son was born with a cleft.
![Pyari waits 70 years for cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/pyari-waits-for-cleft-surgery.jpg?itok=VW0vajK3)
A Lovely Smile 70 Years in the Making
For 70 years, Pyari knew little besides rejection and heartbreak, until you gave her hope. And a smile.