Our Stories

How one kind stranger changed a little girl’s life

A patient’s mother on how Smile Train partners treated her daughter

Never bet against a mother’s will to see her child smile.

Even knowing help is available isn’t always enough to remove the stigma of having a cleft.

After experiencing some of the lowest depths imaginable, Anghelo and his family now celebrate their miraculous lives.

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. 

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

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.

Everyone told Gyana to abandon her daughter when she was born with a cleft; her husband threatened to kill himself if she didn't. Afraid for both their lives, she took the child and fled.