What if you weren’t able to smile? I mean physically, it was impossible for you to show your smile. Have you ever smiled at someone on the street and seen their reaction? What if you weren’t able to give someone that kind of joy? Or you couldn’t express your joy?
Millions of children in developing countries with unrepaired clefts live in shame, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing, speaking…and smiling.
Before I agreed to write about Smile Train, I asked some friends on my Facebook page if they had ever been touched by this organization. I was pleasantly surprised to find a family friend who had. Here is what she told me.
How did having cleft surgery change Maggie’s life?
She was able to have the surgery at a younger age. In the US it is expected for children to receive this surgery and not only receive it, but at an early age in life. In China you are only able to have the surgery if you can pay cash upfront. Of course being an orphan Maggie was in no position to receive the surgery apart from a charitable organization.How do you feel about Smile Train?
Very thankful that they went to a rural part of China to give our daughter care and surgery. Her cleft repair was beautiful. I would defiantly recommend Smile Train to others. They serve many children that other wise would not have access to surgical procedures/care.
What if your child had difficulty breathing, eating, speaking or smiling? Did you know it can be fixed with as little as $250? But most families in developing countries can’t afford it.
Smile Train has a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Smile Train’s model provides training and funding to empower local doctors in developing countries provide 100%- free cleft repair surgery in their communities. Join us and change the world with the power of a smile.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Smile Train. The opinions and text are all mine.
