![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.
![Cristian holds one of his dogs](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-01/cristiang-w-dog.jpg?itok=S7mAGUVV)
Healing Heartbreak with a Smile (Dogs Help, Too)
Angelica was 15 years old, single, and had just given birth to a baby with a cleft. All she knew about clefts was how she had seen people with them harassed without mercy. But she promised to never give up on the little life before her.
![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.
![Monica holding an image of herself as a child](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-01/monica-holding-before-image-super.jpg?itok=ga-5c3ew)
Monica’s Inner Strength Shows in Her Smile
Monica has been through more than any child should, but today she shines bright.
![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.
![nurse lisette with a baby](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-09/lissette-with-baby.jpg?itok=du6vyAW1)
Nurse Lisette Jerez
How Smile Train Partners Are Treating Children with Clefts Through the Pandemic
![Pilar poses with speech patient](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/pilar-cleft-speech.jpg?itok=Vs_UWq6c)
Dr. Maria del Pilar Echeverri: Revolutionizing Cleft Care in Colombia
Dr. Echeverri founded FISULAB in the belief that all aspects of cleft care are equal.
![Dr Gloria with a Smile Train pin on jacket](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/dr-gloria.jpg?itok=ikoD4pnB)
Dr. Carmen Gloria Morovic: Trailblazing Cleft Surgeon In Chile
Surgeon. Activist. Teacher. Woman.
![Teenager Maria holds an image of herself as a baby before her cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/maria-holds-baby-image.jpg?itok=Ce_ZviBj)
With Maria Every Step of the Way
Stella breastfed her seven other children without problems, but Maria’s clefts caused the milk to come out of her nose and made her choke.