With Every Breath, Esvin Defies the Odds
His family thought a child like him could never make it. Then they encountered Smile Train
![Marciel with Ernie, Jr. and Ermalen before their cleft surgeries](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2022-10/pacatang-free-cleft-surgery-philippines-50.jpg?itok=t0vB0XJq)
Maricel: Both My Daughters Have Clefts and I Consider Myself the Luckiest Mom on Earth
![Jula smiling in front of some plants](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2022-01/julia-capilli-plants-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-philippines-smile-train.jpg?itok=D9IoX0Bz)
Julia: A Rare and Beautiful Flower
How Smile Train helped a budding artist bloom through the unimaginable
Sebastian: From Nine Days to Live to Chubby Baby
After Pamela's delivery, the nurses told her that her son, Sebastian, only had nine days to live. She was devastated. She didn’t know where to turn. Then she was referred to Smile Train's local partner, Fundacion Ninos que Rien.
![Auner smiling after free Smile Train cleft and lip surgery in Guatemala](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-07/auner-smiling-after-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-guatemala.jpg?itok=-TZYkg58)
![Santi standing proud at work](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-05/santi-header.jpg?itok=1akchfpM)
Santi: “Dream Big; Don’t Stop”
For adults with clefts, a smile also means fulfilling work with dignity.
![Oscar holding a picture of himself before free Smile Train cleft lip and plate surgery in Zambia.](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-04/oscar-after-free-cleft-surgery-holding-before-picture-zambia.jpg?itok=u-8JmCUs)
Oscar is a Gift
How a mother found the strength to raise eight boys on her own and a son found the strength to smile.
![Dr. Amanda Malungo holding a cleft patient after his surgery.](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-03/amanda-malungo-cleft-lip-cleft-palate-surgeon-zambia-holding-patient.jpg?itok=iM3or6IP)
This Woman — and Smile Train Partner — is Making History in Zambia
She's 36 years old, a mother of four, Zambia's first female plastic surgeon, and a Smile Train partner. Here's how she does it all.
![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.
![Elizabeth before cleft treatment](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-01/elizabeth-before.jpg?itok=yUVE6LD2)
A Banner Year for Elizabeth
Elizabeth's family tries to find the cleft surgery she desperately needs, in the middle of a lockdown.
![Samson's mom hold an image of Samson before cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/samson-holding-before.jpg?itok=QB0FEtXr)
Baby Samson’s Superhuman Strength
Aunt Rebecca did not trust that her sister would provide Samson with the special care he needed. So, she brought him back to the place he was born, the tiny-two room house he now shared with 13 relatives, all female.