To change the world one smile at a time.

Cleft lip and palate occur somewhere between one in 500 and one in 800 births. This means that with a world population of approximately 6.5 billion, we have somewhere between 8 and 13 million people who were born with this very correctable birth defect.

In the developed world, the vast majority of cleft palates are corrected shortly after birth. Luckily, these people quickly get the treatment they need and go on to live normal lives. In fact, you probably have a friend or family member affected by cleft palate. If not, you definitely know some of the famous people affected by cleft palate (including Tom Brokaw, Peyton Manning, and many others).

Besides the small scar sometimes visible on their upper lips, people born with cleft palate in the western world look no different than anyone else. But what if these people were born to parents who couldn’t afford treatment? What if the doctors these parents turned to had no training or facilities? What if people in the community considered this birth defect sign of a curse they must avoid?

Sadly this is the case in much of the developing world. Despite the fact that the corrective surgery costs only $250 and takes 45 minutes, many people cannot afford treatment. In a place where average wages total only $15 per month, it would take almost a year and a half to pay for corrective surgery. Without help, these children have no hope of living normal lives.

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