![Makiba holding a picture of herself before cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2023-04/makiba-50.jpg?itok=-6n7kO-v)
History Did Not Repeat Itself with Makiba
In the shadow of unthinkable tragedy, Smile Train helped turn sorrow into hope
![Dr. Sally](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2023-03/dr-sally-headshot.jpg?itok=fJ675NBC)
Dr. Sally Adel: High-Achieving Women Can Have It All
She’s a mom, professor, MD, speech therapist, swallowing and feeding therapist, and our hero
![Yohanes and his mother smiling and holding a picture of him before cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2023-01/yohanes-50.jpg?itok=lP601sFF)
Never Sleep on Yohanes
More proof that nothing is stronger than a mother’s love
![Azza smiling](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2022-09/azza-smiling-innovinity-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-egypt.jpg?itok=1jVt9oj_)
Innovinity Gives Children With Clefts Their Big Breaks
![Sama](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2022-05/sama-smiling-after-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-smile-train-egypt-50_0.jpg?itok=hJqFIEfi)
Sama’s Mother Never Gave Up on Her. Neither Will We
Where there’s a mother’s love, there’s always hope
![Sondos with her orthodontist](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2022-05/sondos-with-orthodontist-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-care-egypt-smile-train-50.jpg?itok=CCNT3voD)
Against All Odds, Sondos Designs a Future
Nearly starved at birth, orphaned at five, bullied relentlessly, Sondos has survived a lot in nine years. Now she’s ready to thrive
![Adelina and Ionut](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2022-01/ionut-with-mother-snuggle-after-free-cleft-lip-palate-surgery-romania.jpg?itok=35SO2kRQ)
Ionut: Separation, Isolation… Then a Smile
A mother manages cleft care through quarantine
![Dr. Bethel Ethiopia](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-10/oral-health-training-group%20%283%29.png?itok=U7-5uG3Q)
Untold Stories
In Ethiopia, Dr. Bethel and Smile Train are changing the narrative around malnutrition.
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.
![Saber being held by his father after his Smile Train cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-09/saber-after-free-smile-train-cleft-surgery-egypt.jpg?itok=pdWio38F)
Saber’s Cleft Journey, in His Parents’ Words
![All the participants of Smile Train nutrition workshop](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-03/nutrition-workshop-burundi.jpg?itok=9jpGsSkB)
Training The Trainer
Health workers from Burundi attend a workshop so they can better teach others about the importance of cleft nutrition.