Our Stories

How a mother found the strength to raise eight boys on her own and a son found the strength to smile.

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.

Small acts of kindness can have really big consequences. 

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. 

Nkunda had to hide in the bushes on his journey to school every day. Something needed to be done. 

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 has been through more than any child should, but today she shines bright.

Dr. Echeverri founded FISULAB in the belief that all aspects of cleft care are equal.

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.

When Oscar was born with a cleft, his family found a mission-based organization to provide him with the surgery they could not afford. But when a complication arose, they had already left the country. Thankfully, Smile Train's local partners are always there.